Inter Milan are preparing an outrageous swap offer to bring Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti to San Siro in the summer, as per reports.
Italian football publication Calciomercato have reported that Inter Milan are preparing an outrageous swap deal to land Marco Verratti in the summer – to offer Geoffrey Kondogbia or Ever Banega to PSG in order to lower the Ligue 1 champions’ asking price.
Marco Verratti is a player whose stock has constantly been on the rise in European football. The diminutive Italian midfielder joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 after impressing in the Serie A with boyhood club Pescara for four years.
In more than four campaigns since, Verratti has slowly emerged as one of the most highly rated young midfielders in world football. And at just 24, the Italy international has established himself as one of the key components in Les Parisiens’ ranks, amassing an impressive 182 appearances with 5 goals and 31 assists to show for his efforts.
The 2016/17 season hasn’t exactly gone to plan for the Ligue 1 champions as they sit three points behind league leaders Monaco, but Verratti has been one of the bright sparks in Unai Emery’s side. Verratti’s influence is particularly felt when he’s unavailable for selection, with performances dropping significantly.
Naturally, Verratti’s exploits for the French club have resulted in him becoming a target for several clubs across Europe. Chelsea are the most heavily linked of those suitors, with the Premier League leaders keen to add the Italian midfielder to their ranks.
Antonio Conte is thought to be fond of Verratti’s talents, and has thus reportedly earmarked the 24-year-old as one of his priority targets for the summer.
However, it now looks like Italian giants Inter Milan are trying to steal a march on Chelsea, with an outrageous offer on the ready. Verratti is currently valued at somewhere between €80 and €100 million by PSG, but Inter have a plan to lower that price, with either Geoffrey Kondogbia or Ever Banega set be on offer as part of the deal.
Inter are known admirers of Verratti, as the Serie A side tried to sign the Italy international before he made the move to Parc des Princes in 2012. With the former Serie A champions struggling to mount a title charge in recent seasons, the addition of Verratti to the squad will certainly boost their chances of contesting for the league.
However, as per the report, Inter could be set to face competition in their pursuit of the midfielder, as a host of European heavyweights are also interested in Verratti. Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Juventus, apart from Chelsea, are in the mix as well.
Jose Mourinho has been reported to be on the lookout for midfield reinforcements. Having sold Morgan Schneiderlin in the winter transfer window, the Manchester United boss has just Michael Carrick, Paul Pogba, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ander Herrera to choose from.
Michael Carrick is in the twilight of his career and is slowly approaching retirement, while Bastian Schweinsteiger is not going to be a regular any time soon. This leaves Mourinho with just Herrera and Pogba as his options, which explains why a midfield addition could be a priority for the Portuguese manager.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich don’t have any shortage of options in midfield, with Carlo Ancelotti having the luxury of choosing from the likes of Renato Sanches, Joshua Kimmich, Thiago Alcantara, Xabi Alonso and Arturo Vidal. So, with such midfield talents in Bayern’s ranks it looks unlikely that Verratti would move to the Allianz Arena at this moment.
Juventus are also well-known suitors for Verratti and have previously made overtures to sign the Italian. And while they are well stocked in the centre of the park as well, the addition of Verratti would represent a definite upgrade on any option in front of Massimiliano Allegri.
So, Verratti has no shortage of suitors for him. Inter are very confident that their player plus cash offer could be the deal clincher, but ruling heavyweights like Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Juventus out would be foolish at this juncture.
