Coach Luis Enrique stated on Friday that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the new forward for Paris St. Germain, has fit in well with the team and is prepared to play in Saturday’s Ligue 1 home match against Reims.
The Georgian did not play in their 4-2 triumph over Manchester City at home on Wednesday or in their 2-1 victory at Lens, which came a day after the 23-year-old finalised his 70 million euro ($73 million) transfer from Napoli.
“Physically, he is in great shape. We have seen that during training. He is adapting well, and I think he is ready,” Luis Enrique told reporters.
“When we recruit a player, it’s because we believe he can help the team improve.
“What’s important is that he’s with us and he sees what we ask of the team’s players. We’ve analysed his characteristics, which are compatible with our game.
“To score from distance, you need the shot of Kvaratskhelia, Marco Asensio, or Vitinha. All the players’ abilities are welcome. We know him well, we already wanted him last season.”
Kvaratskhelia joined Napoli in 2022 and helped the team win their first Scudetto in 33 years with 12 goals and 13 assists in 34 games.
He was crowned Serie A’s best player that season. Luis Enrique responded that Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola, 22, who also plays on the left wing and has 13 goals and five assists for PSG this season, might play together when asked if they would compete.
“I can create any type of combination with the seven attacking players. All combinations are possible, as are their synergies,” he added.
With 46 points, PSG leads the league by nine points and is undefeated in Ligue 1. Reims has 21 points, which puts them in 13th place. In September, PSG and Reims drew 1-1 in the rematch. Luis Enrique’s team has three games in eight days, including a Champions League match against VfB Stuttgart in Germany four days after their match against Reims.
“We need to be strong both physically and mentally as we are playing every three days. Reims are not in a very good period, but they are surely very motivated, so we need to maintain our rhythm to secure all three points,” the Spaniard said.
