Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli on a long-term contract, forcing Liverpool to look elsewhere in their pursuit of a game-changing attacker.
The 23-year-old has committed to the French champions for the next four-and-a-half seasons until the summer of 2029 and becomes the first-ever Georgian player to represent Les Parisiens.
PSG are understood to have paid Napoli €70m (£59.2m) to bring Kvaratskhelia to the Parc des Princes, where he will endeavour to fill the void left by Kylian Mbappe's exit to Real Madrid last summer.
Kvaratskhelia leaves Napoli having registered 30 goals and 29 assists in 107 matches for the Partenopei, with whom he won the 2022-23 Serie A title and was named the MVP of the Italian top flight.
The 23-year-old was also linked with Liverpool after Antonio Conte revealed that he had asked to leave the club, but the Reds never entered serious negotiations with Napoli, giving PSG a clear path to complete a big-money swoop.
PSG president: 'Kvaratskhelia was so determined to sign'
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"It's a dream to be here. I've heard a lot of very positive things about Paris Saint-Germain. I feel immense pride in joining this great club and I'm really looking forward to wearing my new colours," Kvaratskhelia told the official PSG website.
Meanwhile, club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi claimed that Kvaratskhelia was "so determined" to make the move to the Parc des Princes despite reported interest from a handful of Premier League clubs.
"We are delighted to welcome Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to the Paris Saint-Germain family," Al-Khelaifi added. "Khvicha is one of the most exciting players in world football - a fantastic talent, but also a player who has courage and fights for the team above all else.
"Khvicha was so determined to be part of our great club. I know he will achieve all his goals with us. We are delighted to be strengthening our squad and continuing to make the team the star of Paris Saint-Germain."
Manchester City and Newcastle United were also said to have been keeping tabs on Kvaratskhelia's situation in the summer, but his switch to France arguably comes as a bigger blow for Liverpool, who are still running the risk of losing Mohamed Salah for nothing when his contract runs out in the summer.
What Kvaratskhelia alternatives can Liverpool pursue?
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Kvaratskhelia to Anfield was never a transfer that got off the ground, but if Salah is to end his glittering spell this summer and the Georgian were to have been available, it would not have come as a shock to have seen the Reds re-enter the conversation.
However, there are still a handful of alternative options in Europe that the Merseyside giants are said to be pursuing, including Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane, who is now in the last six months of his deal.
West Ham United's Mohammed Kudus could also be a viable option for the Reds, as well as Eredivisie duo Johan Bakayoko (PSV Eindhoven) and Feyenoord Anis Hadj Moussa, both of whom have been tipped to make the move to Anfield.
While not an out-and-out winger, Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram is understood to be another name on Liverpool's wishlist, especially with more doubts emerging over the long-term future of Darwin Nunez.
Nevertheless, the Uruguayan could make a rare Premier League start in Saturday's game against Brentford thanks to doubts over the availability of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.
Ben Knapton
