In a fascinating turn of events, PSG midfielder Marco Verratti has been linked to Manchester United with an asking price of a staggering €100 million. While the Italian is a promising prospect, a valuation as high as that may put off United manager Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho is set to spend top-dollar in the summer transfer window. After having signed Eric Bailly for €30 million, the Portuguese coach is now keen on bringing in PSG midfielder Marco Verratti to the club. It is understood that the player is in constant touch with the United manager and that the duo share a very healthy professional relationship. The 23-year-old is among the better midfielders in Ligue 1 and would undoubtedly bolster the under-performing United squad.
If the deal goes through, Verratti would be the most expensive footballer on the planet, matching Gareth Bale’s record fee for his transfer to Real Madrid in 2013. However, the chances of it happening are quite low. The 23-year-old has an abysmal injury record and made only 18 appearances for the Parisians last season. Things got from bad to worse in May when he was ruled out of the Euro 2016 due to a groin injury.
However, on his day, Verratti is one of the most elegant deep-lying midfielders in all of Europe. He has an eye for the ball and is sharp when it comes to distribution of the ball. According to Whoscored, the PSG midfielder averaged 82.2 passes passes per game with an immaculate accuracy rate of 93%. Verratti isn’t one to play the ball sideways, accounting for the most number of through-balls in the French Ligue 1 since the start of the 14/15 campaign. He also won 3.6 tackles and completed 2.6 dribbles every 90 minutes for the Parisian outfit last season.
Marco Verratti: Has completed at least 85 more passes (2223) than any other player in Europe’s top 5 leagues in 2015
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 14, 2015
Is Verratti worth the €100 million ordeal?
Investing such a hefty sum in a player who has zero Premier League experience may not gel well with the United management. While he would undoubtedly give the side an added dimension and stability in midfield, a world record fee for his services may prove to be a tad too much. Secondly, with striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on his way out of the club, the French club may be reluctant in letting go of another star player.
Under a new philosophy United’s current crop of midfielders, Morgan Schneiderlin, Ander Herrera, Bastian Schweinsteiger and even Marouane Fellaini can all start anew and reinvent their careers at the club. With Wayne Rooney set for a deeper role next term, paying that kind of money for an injury prone player might prove to be worthless.
If, however, PSG compromises on his asking rate, Mourinho might just table an offer for the Italian. It would take the current PSG player a bit of time to get accustomed to the hard and fast nature of the Premier League and probably may not even be in his best interests to make the move to England, but given his connection with the United boss, we may see him don the United red come the 2016/17 season.
How does the Italian fare against the current crop of United midfielders
Manchester United’s midfield has been the cause of worry for the majority of the 2015/16 season. None of their midfielders managed to make more than 30 appearances in a season where they needed some inspiration from them. Both Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin under-performed in their debut seasons at Old Trafford. While the former is probably already past his prime, the latter’s United future may be in doubt due to a number of injury concerns at 33.
In the graphic given above, Verratti ranks a grade higher than any of the other midfielders in United in terms of creativity. He has created 1.69 chances every 90 minutes, while Schneiderlin and Carrick (both of whom play in the same position as Verratti) combined have averaged lesser than that. Carrick recently signed an extension and may play the role of a squad player next season, rather than a genuine contender for a starting berth.
As illustrated, the defensive aspect of the Italian’s game is a tad weak. Even the interceptions and blocks made by Verratti do not raise too many eyebrows, which make him a surprising pick in Mourinho’s setup. It’s no secret that the Portuguese coach wants to add youth to the side. But given the midfielder’s prolonged injury record, there are very few chances that the United boss will meet his current asking rate. Herrera and Schneiderlin have both won more tackles per game as compared to the PSG man, and if there are to be no more central midfield additions, the duo look set to be Mourinho’s first choice pivots.