Barcelona might launch the offensive to sign 55-cap Italian international Marco Verratti from Paris Saint-Germain in the coming days.
According to a report by French outlet L’Equipe, Marco Verratti is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Catalan giants are in the market for a midfield reinforcement following the departure of Franck Kessie. And the 55-cap Italian international has emerged as a target for the reigning La Liga champions.
Marco Verratti is a familiar name for Barcelona fans. The 30-year-old has been on the Catalan club’s radar throughout his stint with Paris Saint-Germain. But more specifically, he was the top target for Barcelona in the same transfer window they lost Neymar to PSG. And widespread speculation pointed to the interest in the PSG midfielder as the reason to raid the Blaugrana for Neymar.
The 55-cap Italian international has been with PSG for over a decade, having arrived from Pescara in July 2012. And the player has turned out over 400 times thus far for PSG, chipping in with 11 goals and 61 assists. But Verratti’s PSG future is uncertain as he does not feature in Luis Enrique’s plans.
Such a situation has captured the attention of several high-profile clubs. Recent reports have linked him with a move to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid have shown interest in the midfielder this summer. And the PSG veteran is now a target for Barcelona over a late move.
The Catalan giants have already bolstered their midfield unit by signing Ilkay Gundogan and Oriol Romeu this summer. But they might not be done yet, especially with Franck Kessie moving to Saudi Arabia this week. So a vacancy has opened up in the Barcelona midfield. And Verratti might be the ideal candidate to beef up Xavi Hernandez’s squad.
Still, the interest in the 55-cap Italian international is surprising, considering he will share game time with Frenkie de Jong and Gundogan. Nonetheless, Verratti’s arrival will raise the quality of the Barcelona midfield. And PSG will likely entertain offers for the player, considering he is surplus to requirements at Parc des Princes.
A move away from PSG appears to be on the cards for the 30-year-old this summer. And it will be interesting to see if Barcelona can beat the competition from Bayern Munich and Saudi Arabia to land the Italian midfielder. Meanwhile, Verratti might not be the only PSG player moving to Barcelona, with Neymar also featuring on his former club’s wishlist.
