Liverpool are hot on the tail of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after recent updates on the winger's future in Italy, it has been reported. This flashpoint arrives after many months of Napoli attempting and failing to tie their player down with an improved, long-term contract.

The Liverpool ECHO understands that as of now, Anfield chiefs are yet to have reached out to their Italian counterparts over a January transfer of the Georgia international. That said, Liverpool are long-term admirers and will be alive to the situation.

Premier League rivals Chelsea and, more prominently, Paris Saint-Germain are also credited with recent interest in the latest reports elsewhere around Kvaratskhelia's future. In this rapidly unfolding saga, Arne Slot has now also been asked for his thoughts.

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The head coach said: "Nine out of 10 times or 99 out of 100 times, at the end of the window it's been clear that almost all of these stories weren't true. So what can I comment about it? The rumours keep going for it but no comment from my side." Kvaratskhelia arrived at Napoli in 2022 from Dinamo Batumi in his homeland, costing €13.3m (£11.1m). He did so as a winger with bags of potential, so what came next was unforeseen.

A debut campaign ended with 14 goals, 17 assists and the Serie A trophy returning to Naples for the first time in over three decades. A standout performance was their 4-1 rout of Liverpool at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

But the contract he signed that year is actually the only one he has ever agreed with his current club, as Fabrizio Romano recently provided an inside view as he hinted the winger is looking to leave Napoli to secure a substantial pay rise.

"Napoli's contract proposal to extend the contract of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was not accepted by the player for months and months and months," he explained, first covering the 2023/24 campaign.

Once this failure came to light Paris Saint-Germain began to make a summer 2024 move, only for the Italian club and new boss Antonio Conte to slam the door shut on an exit.

Romano continued: "Napoli after that started negotiating with Kvaratskhelia for a new contract. Why? Because Kvaratskhelia has been a sensation for Napoli. He's won the title, he's one of the best signings in terms of expectation and performances - one of the best in terms of Serie A.

"It is important to say Kvaratskhelia has exactly the same salary and contract he signed when he joined Napoli years ago. That is a salary not even reaching €2m (£1.6m) net per year, which is a salary that is quite normal in Serie A."

And reaching the present day, Romano explained the player is yet to agree to a new deal in Italy - meaning a move may now be 'imminent'. He added: "Napoli tried to extend his contract, the player is not answering and not accepting, so Napoli are opening the doors to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kvaratskhelia is opening the doors to a January, imminent exit.

"It is something many people didn't expect but this contract situation really changed the story."