Report: Liverpool and Man United make contact to sign Kvaratskhelia

Liverpool and Manchester United are among several major European clubs tracking highly-rated Georgian teenager Tornike Kvaratskhelia, the younger brother of Paris Saint-Germain star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The 16-year-old winger is currently developing at Dinamo Tbilisi and has already attracted attention well beyond Georgia.

Liverpool and United have both reportedly made contact about a possible future move, although neither Premier League club is considered to be leading the race at this stage.

Liverpool and Man United register Kvaratskhelia interest

According to TEAMtalk and Graeme Bailey, Liverpool and Manchester United have both registered their interest in Kvaratskhelia as they continue searching internationally for elite teenage talent.

Chelsea and Tottenham are also understood to be following the winger, but Bayern Munich currently appear to be in the strongest position.

The German champions invited Kvaratskhelia to train at their academy earlier this year, giving them the opportunity to assess him closely before making any future decision.

Bundesliga.com confirmed that Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund acknowledged the teenager had trained at the club’s campus and even featured in a youth friendly.

That hands Bayern an obvious advantage because they have already built a relationship with the player and seen his qualities first-hand.

Can Premier League clubs win the race against Bayern?

The most important thing here is not Tornike’s surname.

Being Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s younger brother naturally creates attention, but Liverpool and United will be assessing whether he possesses the individual qualities required to develop into an elite player himself.

At 16, there is still enormous uncertainty.

However, both clubs have increasingly focused on signing promising youngsters before they become established senior players and command huge transfer fees.

For Liverpool, Kvaratskhelia could fit into a long-term strategy of developing explosive wide attackers suited to Andoni Iraola’s high-intensity football.

United have followed a similar approach, recently investing heavily in academy-level talent and attempting to create clearer routes towards Michael Carrick’s first team.

Bayern remain the biggest obstacle.

Allowing Kvaratskhelia to train at their academy means they have already progressed beyond simple scouting.

Liverpool and United therefore cannot afford to wait too long if their interest is serious.

There is no guarantee Tornike will follow his brother to the highest level, but recruiting elite prospects is always partly about acting before that potential becomes obvious to everyone.