Each day we pick out a player and cut through the noise to give analytical, objective insight. Thursday's focus is on Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
- Age: 22
- Position: Winger
- Club: Napoli
- Country: Georgia
Premier League suitors face a battle to land the services of prolific goalscoring winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the summer, with Napoli fending off interest from England in their "priceless" star.
Luciano Spalletti's side have been a revelation in Serie A this season, sitting 15 points clear at the summit after 23 games.
Featuring in all but four of those, Kvaratskhelia has been a constant source of both goals and assists with 19 direct goal involvements.
Even as a winger, the Georgian has outscored all but three Serie A marksmen.
And while his figures - 10 goals and 9 assists - are commendable in themselves, his underlying numbers are fantastic.
Among wingers in Serie A, the Napoli man ranks only behind five based on expected goals (xG) per 95 minutes. His 0.35 is good enough to have him in the top 35 players across Italy's top flight.
When it comes to expected assists (xA) per 95 minutes, only two players can better his average of 0.38 - Paulo Dybala (0.44) and Angel Di Maria (0.40). Those two are top class players, and that is the company 'Kvaradona' is keeping.
- Expected Goal Involvement (xG) = Expected Goals (xG) + Expected Assists (xA)
When combining the two to get expected goal involvement (xGI) per 95 minutes, Kvaratskhelia's 0.73 has him as seventh most potent attacking player in Serie A, with the only non-strikers above him being Paulo Dybala (0.88) and Ademola Lookman (0.84).
The Georgian is putting up elite level numbers for his position.
His rare combination of scoring and passing ability, coupled with incredible ball carrying skills, mean it isn't difficult to see why clubs are queuing up to take a closer look at Kvaratskhelia - or why Napoli are so hell-bent on keeping him.
