Liverpool’s summer recruitment operation has already hit four separate walls before the transfer window has even opened, with the latest setback coming in their pursuit of PSG winger [Khvicha Kvaratskhelia](https://onefootball.com/en/news/report-liverpools-chances-of-signing-kvaratskhelia-revealed-as-psg-hold-stance-42627638) — a player [Arsenal](https://londoninsider.co.uk/tag/arsenal/) are also chasing and have also been told is unavailable.
Both clubs made enquiries this week. Both were told in clear terms that Kvaratskhelia is settled in Paris, happy with his life there, and that PSG have no intention of entertaining conversations about his departure.
The price tag that has been quoted — around £160 million — is not intended as an opening gambit. It is meant as a conversation stopper, and it appears to be working as intended.
Kvaratskhelia signed for PSG from Napoli in January 2025 and is contracted until June 2029. He has 12 goals and seven assists this season and was a central figure in last year’s treble-winning campaign.
The problem for Liverpool is that every winger they have explored in the aftermath of Salah’s departure announcement has come back with a “not for sale” response. Bayern’s Michael Olise, PSG’s Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola — the list of early knockbacks is growing.
For Arsenal, the Kvaratskhelia situation reflects a wider strategic reality. The Gunners need a left winger this summer, with both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard heading into the final year of their contracts and doubts remaining over both players’ futures.
Anthony Gordon at Newcastle and Nico Williams at Athletic Club are among the alternatives being assessed, but both carry their own complications — Gordon is contracted until 2030 and Newcastle will not sell cheaply, while Williams is the subject of intense competition across Europe.
The message from this week’s activity is that the elite Premier League clubs are chasing a limited pool of genuinely world-class attacking players, and PSG have no desire to help restock their rivals’ squads.