Kvaratskhelia-inspired Napoli show Man Utd how to do business

Carlo Garganese

• 12 Oct 2022 14:50 CDT
• 5 min read

Napoli 2022-23 should be a lesson to every team in Europe – big and small – on how to do transfer business.

In pre-season, there were a large number of Serie A experts who predicted that Napoli would crash and burn this campaign. Indeed, most predicted that the Partenopei wouldn’t even make it into the top four in Serie A.

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The reason for this was because Napoli sold off half of their first team, including all of their most experienced leaders.

Towering centre back Kalidou Koulibaly was sold to Chelsea for €40m, classy centre midfielder Fabian Ruiz to PSG for €25m, while legendary captain Lorenzo Insigne and all-time top scorer Dries Mertens were released, moving to Toronto and Galatasaray, respectively. They also lost first-choice goalkeeper David Ospina.

It was said Napoli couldn’t possibly recover from losing so many key figures not only on the pitch, but more so in the changing room. These were big characters.

In their place came mostly unheralded and developing players. Khvicha Kvaratshkelia, Kim Min-Jae, Giacomo Raspadori, Mathias Olivera, Leo Ostigard, Giovanni Simeone, Tanguy N’Dombele and Salvatore Sirigu.

Napoli actually made a net profit on their transfer dealings (although some of these are loans that will turn into permanent transfers). They also cut their wage bill massively.

All of which makes it truly remarkable that Napoli have been arguably the best team in Europe so far this season. And certainly the best team to watch.

Their 4-2 victory over Ajax on Wednesday evening in Naples means they have already qualified for the Champions League last 16 after four wins out of four. They have scored 17 goals in the process, more than anyone else in the competition. They thrashed last season’s finalists Liverpool 4-1 during this run.

In all games in all competitions they have scored a ridiculous 39 goals in 13 games – averaging three goals per game.

That means they are top of Serie A and fans are dreaming of a first Scudetto since the Diego Maradona heydays of 1990.

Kvaratskhelia a future Ballon d'Or contender

In the 21-year-old Kvaratskhelia, a player signed for just €10m from Dinamo Batumi, they have the breakout star of European football this season. This is someone who is a future Ballon d’Or contender. Another goal and assist tonight from the left wing means he now has seven goals and five assists from 13 games for his new club.

In Kim Min-Jae (signed for €19m from Fenerbahce), Napoli have found a centre back who has replaced Koulibaly perfectly. The South Korean has already attracted interest from Man Utd, winning Serie A’s Player of the Month for September after ‘Kvaradona’ won it in August.

Another new signing, Raspadori, is also on fire. His brilliant finish against Ajax means he now has seven goals in his last nine games for club and country. He has been compared to Sergio Aguero and you can see why, such is his natural finishing.

The centre midfield duo of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka are an incredible pair; the former playing like Patrick Vieira in his prime this season, and the latter being compared to Andres Iniesta by manager Luciano Spalletti.

Spalletti himself has done an amazing job developing all of these players and many more. Napoli are playing modern, progressive, attacking football. They dominate possession and territory, press high and attack at all angles. They also transition and counter with incredible intensity and speed.

They are the complete team and they are now on a nine-match winning run – much of which has been done without their most established player; Victor Osimhen.

Aside from perhaps in defence, Napoli also boast a squad with incredible depth in the midfield and attacking positions. There are six top forwards for three positions in Kvara, Raspadori, Osimhen, Simeone, Hirving Lozano and Matteo Politano.

Can Napoli maintain form?

The big question as always is can they maintain it? In recent years, Napoli have often started seasons well but fallen away in the new year and missed out on that long overdue Scudetto.

What isn’t in doubt is just how incredible their transfer work has been. Sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has performed miracles with the budget he has to work with. It is a pittance compared to the likes of Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, PSG, Barcelona and even Juventus.

It’s no surprise Giuntoli is now being looked at by a number of big clubs, including Juventus – a team who are the perfect example of how NOT to operate.

But even when you look at rich Premier League clubs who throw money around without any kind of coherent plan. Take Man Utd, who spent €262 million this summer and face a struggle just to get in the top four again.

Napoli are the feel-good story of the season – and pound-for-pound the best team in Europe – long may it continue!