PSG signs Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: The Georgian sensation ready to shine

PSG has signed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli for €65m on a four-and-a-half year deal. The Georgian winger is a game changer who will offer balance and unpredictability to PSG's attack.

Kvaratskhelia was a total unknown when he arrived in Italy, but fans and pundits alike quickly discovered his pace, dribbling skills, eye for goal and bravery both in and out of possession. He was named Serie A player of the season and Champions League young player of the campaign too (two goals, four assists in nine games).

Even if the 18 months since haven't exactly reached the same heights, he left Naples this week with pretty incredible figures considering it was his first time playing outside of Georgia or Russia before. He departs Italy with 46 goals and 48 assists in 191 games in all competitions across just two-and-a-half seasons!

For PSG, Kvaratskhelia was the only option, especially having tried to recruit him last summer. When Marcus Rashford was offered to the Parisians a few weeks ago, the club said no. When Karim Adeyemi became an possibility, the club also demurred. Last August, they'd turned down the opportunity to bring Jadon Sancho, and even Milan's Rafael Leão, to the French capital. PSG manager Luis Enrique had only ever wanted Khvicha for his attack.

In his office at the brand new ultra-modern training ground in Poissy, a southwest suburb of Paris, Enrique has already been working on how to integrate his new No. 7 on the left, the right, as a false 9 or even a No. 10 behind the main forward. He believes "Kvara" can play anywhere.

The arrival of Kvaratskhelia changes the dynamic. Regardless of where he plays, he will offer more balance to the PSG attack that had been far too reliant on the Achraf Hakimi-Dembélé duo on the right so far this season. It will mean more unpredictability for PSG's opponents, more diversity in attack for the Parisians, and less pressure on Hakimi & Co. to deliver all the time.

For Enrique and for Luis Campos, PSG's sporting director, their new winger is the perfect replacement for Mbappé. Not in terms of profiles -- they are very different players -- or in terms of stats, because Kvaratskhelia will never score 40 goals a season like Kylian used to, but in terms of balancing the team's attack and offering a consistent threat from either flank. He's a player who can unsettle a defence at any time and from anywhere on the pitch, especially in tight spaces.

In the end, PSG couldn't miss the opportunity to get their man, and everyone involved at the club cannot wait to see him getting started. Kvaratskhelia is so compatible with Enrique's vision that he's been noticeably excited about his arrival, a rarity for the usually cool manager.

The transfer likely won't be completed in time for him to play against Lens on Saturday, and he won't be eligible to face Manchester City in the huge Champions League game next week either, so it's expected that he'll make his PSG debut at home against Reims on Jan. 25. The boisterous Parc des Princes will be ready to show him all the love their new team icon deserves.