Why Man City Won’t Face Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in Champions League Against PSG | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain made a bold move in the January transfer window by signing former Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian star’s arrival is expected to make waves in the transfer market.

After spending the first half of the 2024-25 season with Napoli, Kvaratskhelia has joined PSG on a deal that runs until 2029.

Although the exact transfer fee hasn’t been officially disclosed, reports suggest PSG paid €70 million (£59 million) plus add-ons to secure his services.

Despite interest from Liverpool and Manchester United, PSG won the race for the 22-year-old. However, their new signing won’t be available as they look to turn around their UEFA Champions League campaign.

The reason Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won’t play against Man City

Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images

As per L’Équipe, although Kvaratskhelia hasn’t played in the Champions League this season—nor has his former club—the Georgian international, who last featured for Napoli on December 29 in a Serie A match against Venezia, will have to settle for watching from the stands.

Clubs involved in the Champions League can only field players who were registered with UEFA before the September 3 deadline for the initial phase. This means Kvaratskhelia won’t be on the pitch for the match against Stuttgart on January 29.

If the club progresses to the knockout stages, they’ll be allowed to “register up to three new players” by February 6, 2025, at midnight. At that point, the new No. 7 could add to his Champions League record of 2 goals and 5 assists in 17 matches. Until then, he could make his Ligue 1 debut at the Parc des Princes against Stade de Reims on January 25.