Napoli are currently sitting atop the Serie A table in Italy and playing some exquisite football. In the 1980s, Napoli were a club that captured the imagination as they upset the odds and became not only champions but two time champions in the mid to late 80s. They did this on the back of the mercurial talents of the incomparable Diego Maradona.
Maradona was already a star before he reached Naples, having made a name for himself domestically and internationally with giants Boca Juniors and Barcelona as well as with the Argentinian national team. His signing was a no-brainer for the Azzuri although his impact probably exceeded all expectations of even the most devout supporter.
Fast forward a few decades and Napoli are once more on the precipice of creating history. Once again their moves in the transfer market will be at the fore of building a championship calibre team. However, this time it won’t be on the back of a big name, once in a lifetime talent but an astute collection of shrewd signings which have fit so well together.
One such signing who really has exceeded expectations is Georgian star, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Kvaratskhelia had caught the attention of the football world with his performances for his national team as well as at club level with Russian club, Rubin Kazan. His good form carried over to his return with Georgian club, Dinamo Batumi.
While at Dinamo Batumi, Kvaratskhelia created an Attacking VPM of 1.17 which is extremely high especially as his WR is 0.75 actions per minute which is neither high nor low. Given his SWR was an impressive 0.43 successful actions per minute, it shows that not only was he completing a high percentage of his actions for an attacking player but they were also high scoring actions such as goals, progressive runs and penalty area touches.
What those numbers tell us about a player is that they’re probably playing below their true level but what we can’t know is what the ceiling is exactly. However, Napoli took a chance on a player excelling in the Erovnuli Liga and it has paid off handsomely. So far after more than 1200 minutes in Serie A, Kvaratskhelia has produced 0.59 Attacking VPM from a similar WR and SWR as he had in Georgia (0.74 & 0.4).
The reward far outweighs the risk of such a transfer. Player movements often follow a certain pattern with factors such as nationality and league playing a major role. These will decide transfer fee and player salary as well as the profit/loss margin of any future transfer.
Georgian players coming out of their domestic league might have to first go to a league in the rung above such as Cypriot or Belgian leagues. There aren’t many instances of players from 5th to 4th tier leagues in the European hierarchy skipping straight ahead to a league in the top tier, let alone a contender club.
Back in 1999, Premier League club Southampton signed Latvian player, Marians Pahars, straight out of Latvia for around £800,000. Even earlier, in 1995, Manchester City took Georgian player, Georgi Kinkladze, direct from Georgian club, Dinamo Tbilisi. Both players showed they belonged at that level and became known for their exciting level of play. Such moves have happened since but it is the exception rather than the rule.
However, as values of players rise and these valuations are influenced by those factors mentioned above, league and nationality, it is becoming increasingly important for clubs hoping to compete against traditional powerhouses to find every advantage possible. By being able to identify talent in the less searched areas, a club can literally save millions while further on being able to generate millions in profit should their player prove capable at their level.
There’s always risks involved in transfers. Many highly touted players have failed to live up to their hype. Established players in one league have failed to translate their game in another league. Still big clubs with money tend to allow clubs below them on the totem pole to act as extensions to their scouting arm. For example, Manchester City buy Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City who, as a Championship side, got him from the French second division. Money is no object for City but for a club to get a player from the French second division for around £450,000 to on-sell him for £60,000,000 after that player helped them immeasurably on the pitch from promotion to even a Premier League table, is the absolute dream for any aspirational club looking to compete against the big boys.
Napoli’s acquisition of Kvaratskhelia should serve as a reminder of what is out there in this huge global football market. It should be the blueprint for every club to take advantage of economies of scale. The 50,000,000 that an English club might spend buying a Brazilian performing well in Ligue One but doesn’t represent any improved resale value in the future, might be better spent on 20 prospects from smaller leagues and nations that if they perform adequately could see a return on investment tenfold.
Of course clubs are not going to purchase 20 players in a transfer window or two from but realistically looking at maybe two or three targets from smaller markets could be an investment that even the most risk-averse football department could get behind.
Let’s stay in Georgia for a minute and look at another 21 year old but in this case, he plays on the right side of the attack as opposed to Kvaratskhelia who is a left-sided attacker. Nika Khorkheli, plays for Samgurali, an upper mid table team in Georgia. Last season he played for Sioni Bolnisi who were relegated.
Despite being on a relegated team who averaged less than 43% possession, Khorkheli produced a 0.66 Attacking VPM. This was with the player only attempting 0.62 (WR) actions per minute being successful at 0.35 (SWR) per minute. In teams where they’re doing a lot more defending than attacking, it is normal to see defensive players getting high values,especially Defensive VPM. It’s unusual for a player in a “struggling” team to produce a high attacking value.
At Dinamo Batumi, Kvaratskhelia had the advantage of being in a top team who often dominated possession and therefore attacking actions. This makes Khorkheli’s 0.66 very impressive and it will be interesting to see how he does now he’s moved to a club stronger than his previous one. He is definitely a player worth monitoring and could prove to be a steal.
Football is played all around the world so we can never know when lightning will strike on a player who will have the ability to play on the biggest stages. One thing we do know is that opportunities are more readily available for players born within a certain country or starting in a certain league. However, more opportunity for players in smaller markets could see huge rewards to the buying clubs.
