Newcastle United will have to pay a 'great deal more than £50million' if they want to sign Napoli forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, according to transfersdotcom correspondent Jacque Talbot.

The Lowdown: Newcastle eye Kvaratskhelia

Magpies fans were gifted an exciting new transfer rumour over the weekend, as a report from The Times on Friday detailed interest in Napoli's 21 year-old breakout star.

According to the paper's Martin Hardy, the Tyneside outfit have been scouting the winger regularly and have made him one of their 'main priorities' for the next two transfer windows.

The report valued Kvaratskhelia at £50m, but the latest update suggests Eddie Howe and PIF will really have to break the bank if they want to make this happen.

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The Latest: Time to pay up

Fabrizio Romano shared an update from Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli on Monday, who said 'there’s no chance' they will let their star man go.

Adding to the Italian transfer guru's tweet, Talbot said: "Newcastle will have to do a great deal more than £50million if they truly want Kvaratskhelia."

The Verdict: Go for it?

Newcastle are unlikely to shell out more £50m during the winter window as they look to act reasonably in the market and abide by Financial Fair Play regulations. However, the report from The Times specified that Kvaratskhelia is a target for 2023, not just January, and we see no reason PIF shouldn't at least attempt to get this done in the summer.

By then, the Magpies may have Champions League football to offer the player - something they are unlikely to win the race for his services without - and he is the exact type of marquee signing required to take the squad up a level if they are to compete with Europe's elite next season.

According to FBRef, the 'Georgian Messi', who has also been likened to Diego Maradona, ranks in the 86th percentile or higher for every single attacking metric when compared with other players in his position across Europe, and his numbers line up with the likes of Son-Heung min, Vinicius Junior, Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah.

With Allan Saint-Maximin consistently struggling with injuries, the 19-cap Georgia international, praised by Brazil legend Kaka and dubbed a 'future Ballon d'Or winner' by football content creator Boras Legend, could be the perfect signing to come in and make that left-wing spot his own for the next decade.