Summary
Arsenal missed out on the opportunity to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in 2022.
Bukayo Saka has carried Arsenal's attack while others struggled, with Marquinhos signed instead.
The Georgian international has soared into superstardom with PSG, winning a historic treble and being tipped for a Ballon d'Or.
For the best part of the last five years, it’s felt like Arsenal have been teetering on the edge of glory under Mikel Arteta. Last season, they finished Premier League runners-up for the third time in a row, and came within a whisker - just one win - of reaching only their second-ever Champions League final.
Should they go another season without silverware, Arsenal may well cement their place as the biggest nearlymen in recent English football history - always the bridesmaids, never the bride. But why they've earned this unwanted reputation remains something of a mystery. While their manager’s relative inexperience could be one reason, and injuries another, their persistent struggle to get the best out of their attacking players continues to be the elephant in the room.
Often, Bukayo Saka has been the engine, transmission, and fuel system of the Gunners’ front three, carrying the load while the likes of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Leandro Trossard have sputtered through long dry spells. If only Stan Kroenke and co. had taken a closer look at Khvicha Kvaratskhelia when he was up for grabs back in 2022, they might’ve turbocharged their attack with a now-Ballon d'Or contender on the opposite wing.
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Arsenal Rejected The Chance To Sign Kvaratskhelia in 2022
The club's scouts paid close attention to his weaknesses and signed Marquinhos instead
Former Arsenal scout Tomasz Pasieczny revealed that Arsenal elected against pursuing a move for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in 2022. The explosive, blink-and-you'll-miss-him winger was on the books at Russian club Rubin Kazan at the time, and subsequently signed for Dinamo Batumi before securing a high-profile move to Napoli for around £11million, where he would help them win their first Serie A title in 33 years, finishing as the league's top assist provider.
The club's scout for Eastern Europe was alerted to the potential of Kvaratskhelia and his compatriot Zuriko Davitashvili, but it appears he paid too much attention to his weakness and opted out of signing him for a cut-throat price. Pasieczny was left unimpressed by how Kvaratskhelia struggled during a game against Dynamo Moscow after the crowd reacted negatively to some failed dribble attempts. He reflected last month in an interview with the Daily Mail:
"He couldn't cope with it. Every next move was bad, from start to finish. He got lost, the ball bounced off him, you could see that he had lost his confidence. He overcame it, but if it had continued, it would have been a problem. Being affected by a few thousand people in Kazan doesn't lead to a good rating."
"Everyone knew he would be mega good, but they wondered how good. Whether he would be the absolute top or a bit lower. Few had any doubts that he wouldn't be anything at all. However, at that stage I had to write how it is, draw conclusions, write where the problems are."
Instead of attempting to sign Kvaratskhelia, Arsenal instead brought in Marquinhos from Sao Paulo. The Brazilian is still on Arsenal's books but has made just six senior appearances for the club and is currently on loan at Cruzeiro for the rest of this calendar year.
During his time at Arsenal, Marquinhos has also had loan spells at Norwich, Nantes and Fluminense. Now no longer that young as he passes his 22nd birthday, it remains to be seen whether he ever grows into the forward-thinking player Arsenal had envisioned, while Kvaratskhelia has come on leaps and bounds to become one of the best players in the world.
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Kvaratskhelia Is Among The Favourites For 2025 Ballon d'Or
He was a driving force in Paris Saint-Germain's once-elusive first Champions League
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrating scoring in the Champions League against Aston Villa
On 17 January 2025, Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain announced the signing of Kvaratskhelia on a contract running until June 2029. With the move, he became the first Georgian player in the club’s history - but, as it so happens, that was only the beginning.
Few could have predicted that he would soon carve out an even greater legacy in such a short space of time, playing a pivotal role in helping Les Parisiens win their first-ever UEFA Champions League title. Along the way, PSG dispatched Arsenal in the semi-finals, leaving the Gunners still yearning for their long-awaited European anointment.
Kvicha Kvaratskhelia's career statistics
Games
Goals
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Honours
In his first 25 appearances in the City of Lights, the 24-year-old winger has notched seven goals and six assists, helping power Luis Enrique’s side to a historic treble. More than just numbers, though, Kvaratskhelia has been central to PSG’s expressive new identity - a fluid, fearless style of football that thrives on cohesion over celebrity, and collective brilliance over individual billing.
Thanks to his escapades, Kvaratskhelia has firmly established himself among the leading contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or. Whether it's outrunning the quickest defenders in a foot race or using his trademark unpredictability to slip through the tightest cracks in midfield or defence, he's proven nearly impossible to contain. Arsenal, in particular, may forever rue the chance they let slip to sign him three years ago.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (correct as of 13/06/2025)