From the Bleachers of Kazan to the Bright Lights of Paris
Every once in a while, a player comes along who makes you wonder: how did the big clubs miss him? Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the electric Georgian winger currently lighting it up for Paris Saint-Germain, is one of those names that leaves fans—and scouts—asking just that. And as it turns out, one of those big clubs who let him slip through the cracks was Arsenal.
Just a few years ago, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia wasn’t playing in Champions League semi-finals or scoring decisive goals against English giants. He was a teenage winger at Rubin Kazan, full of raw potential, unpredictable on the ball, and still figuring out how to channel his chaotic brilliance. Arsenal had their eye on him—but ultimately, they passed.
Now, in the wake of PSG’s recent Champions League triumph over the Gunners, former Arsenal scout Tomasz Pasieczny has lifted the lid on how one of Europe’s most exciting players slipped through North London’s grasp.
One Game That Changed Everything
“I was at the old stadium in Kazan for a match with Dynamo Moscow,” Pasieczny recently told Polish outlet Weszlo. “Sebastian Szymanski was the main player I was scouting. But Khvicha came off the bench that day.”
What happened next, as Pasieczny recalls, wasn’t exactly headline material.
“He made two completely unsuccessful dribbles, the fans groaned, and you could see the confidence drain out of him. Every touch was off. He looked lost.”
That one performance was enough to sow seeds of doubt—not necessarily about Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s talent, which was undeniable, but about his mentality. Could he handle the pressure? Could he grow into a player worthy of a top Premier League side?
“Of course, you never base a full scouting report on just one bad day,” Pasieczny said. “But it raises red flags. My job was to write things as they were—to point out the weaknesses, not just the potential.”
Arsenal’s Decision: Tread Cautiously
At that point, Arsenal were casting a wide net. Under Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar, the club was taking a long-term approach to talent acquisition—snapping up emerging stars before their price tags ballooned.
Kvaratskhelia was certainly on the radar. But in that moment, surrounded by doubts and in need of polish, he didn’t quite tick the boxes.
“You could see he had something,” Pasieczny admitted. “Everyone knew he was going to be good. The question was—how good? World-class good? Or just another talented winger?”
The club ultimately chose a safer bet in Marquinhos, a young Brazilian winger they signed from São Paulo in 2022. Later, they added Leandro Trossard from Brighton to bolster their attack. Both players have had their moments, but neither have exploded quite like the man now nicknamed “Kvaradona” in Paris.
From Batumi to Naples: The Real Breakthrough
Kvaratskhelia’s path to stardom took a sharp turn in 2022. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the winger terminated his contract with Rubin Kazan and returned to his native Georgia to join Dinamo Batumi.
It was a brief but crucial spell. In just a few months, he dazzled on home soil, reigniting the flame that scouts across Europe had glimpsed but never quite trusted.
Enter Napoli. Willing to take a calculated risk, the Italian club paid around £10 million for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s services that summer. It turned out to be one of the greatest bargains in recent Serie A history.
Serie A MVP and a New Home in Paris
In his very first season in Italy, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia did the unthinkable: he led Napoli to their first Serie A title since 1990, picking up the league’s MVP award in the process. He formed a devastating partnership with Victor Osimhen, and suddenly, the entire continent stood up and took notice.
His ability to drive at defenders, glide past full-backs, and create out of nowhere made him a nightmare to defend. The kind of winger who only comes around once in a generation.
So it was no surprise when Paris Saint-Germain came calling. Desperate to rebuild their post-Mbappé era (with Kylian rumored to be on his way out), PSG splashed £70 million to bring him to the French capital in the January 2025 window.
And just like that, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was on another level.
Redemption in the Champions League
In the semi-final against Arsenal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia delivered what some fans in North London might call poetic justice.
Twisting and turning defenders, drawing fouls, laying on assists—it was the kind of performance that left many asking: “What if?” What if Arsenal had taken the plunge? What if that one off-day in Kazan hadn’t clouded his scouting report?
But as Pasieczny explains, this is the life of a scout.
“You’re trying to project what a player might become. Sometimes you’re right. Sometimes you’re wrong. And sometimes, the timing just isn’t right.”
He added: “Clubs like Arsenal need to be cautious. The Premier League is unforgiving. You can’t sign someone and hope they figure it out. They have to be ready.”
No Regrets, Just Lessons
To their credit, Arsenal have built a strong, exciting squad in recent years. Young talents like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Ødegaard are leading the charge, and the club remains firmly in the conversation at both domestic and European levels.
But even the best recruitment teams miss a gem here and there. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a reminder that scouting isn’t an exact science—it’s about intuition, development, and a bit of luck.
For Arsenal fans, the image of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia dancing through their back line in a PSG shirt will sting for a while. But for neutral observers, it’s just another compelling chapter in football’s endless tapestry of “what might have been.”
Final Thoughts: Stars Can Rise from Anywhere
In the end, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s story isn’t about Arsenal’s misstep as much as it is about perseverance. He overcame early struggles, criticism, and self-doubt to become one of the most dangerous attackers in the world.
He’s proof that a bad day doesn’t define a player—and that talent, when nurtured properly, will always rise.
So next time a young winger has a stinker off the bench in Kazan, maybe don’t write him off just yet. He might just be the next Kvaradona.
