Chelsea and Barcelona were reportedly keen on signing Marco Verratti from Paris Saint-Germain, but he is moving to Qatar.
According to a report from L’Equipe, as relayed by The Sun, Chelsea and Barcelona tried to sign Marco Verratti during the summer transfer window. But he has ended up agreeing on a deal to move to Qatar.
The 30-year-old Italian international has established himself as one of the finest central midfielders in the game, and he would have been a quality acquisition for the two clubs.
Chelsea needed someone who could control the tempo of the game and recycle possession. Verratti would have been the ideal fit for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. The Blues currently have Enzo Fernandez as the only option who can dominate proceedings in the middle of the park. They have sanctioned the departures of Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante earlier this summer.
Although they have brought in two quality defensive midfielders Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, signing a technically gifted central midfielder would have added a new dimension to their side.
Verratti has proven himself for club and country over the years, and his experience could have been vital for the two sides. Meanwhile, Barcelona needed to add more quality in the central midfield as well.
They signed Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City on a free transfer, and Verratti would have been a quality acquisition as well. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea and Barcelona decide to dip into the January transfer window for central midfield reinforcements.
Barcelona will be hoping to defend their domestic crown after winning the league title last year, and they will hope to do well in the Champions League as well. Meanwhile, Chelsea had a disappointing 2022/23 season, finishing 12th in the league table.
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They have made a mediocre start to the new campaign as well, and it remains to be seen whether the Blues can bounce back strongly and secure a top-four finish. A club of their stature should be competing for major trophies every year and competing in the Champions League. Pochettino might need to bring in a couple of quality additions in January to get the Blues firing again.
