Real Madrid have been surprisingly quiet in the transfer market so far, but according to the latest report from Sport, Real Madrid are ready to make their customary galactico signing of the transfer window.
Los Blancos see Verrati as an ideal replacement for Toni Kroos. The German is supposed to be Manchester City’s prime target this summer and the Italian would be a perfect signing for Zidane.
But whether Real will get a deal done is still doubtful as Verratti had earlier mentioned that he wanted to stay at the Parc de Princes for the upcoming season. PSG have tried to scare off probable bidders for Verratti by slapping a £59million price tag on their star midfielder as he is considered a vital squad member by many new manager Uani Emery.
Though he made considerably fewer appearances this season compared to the last, his pass success ratio increased by 1.6 percent to a whopping 93 percent in Ligue 1 and 94.8 percent in the Champions League.
Latest reports have also linked Paul Pogba with a move to Real Madrid, but Florentino Perez is reported to be unwilling to pay the huge asking fee of £120 million. Verrati’s asking price is said to be around £60 million and the Italian would represent an excellent addition to the Real Madrid midfield at half the price of Paul Pogba.
Verrati has been compared to Andrea Pirlo for his similar style of play and his signing could provide the much-needed solidity and creativity at midfield. Zidane has not been happy with Isco’s and James Rodriguez’s contributions and either or both of them could be on their way out this transfer window.
However, recently James Rodriguez himself said that he was willing to stay and fight for his place at Real Madrid:
"I will fight to earn my place. That's my dream. I will stay at Real Madrid, I will succeed here," Rodriguez was quoted as saying by Spanish newspaper Marca.
"I know that the club received an 85 million euros bid for me, but I'm not leaving," he added.
James Rodriguez had an instant impact in his first season at Real Madrid, but he struggled for form and fitness in his second season. The Colombian was linked with a big money move to either Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea, but as his recent comments suggest he might end up staying at Los Blancos instead.
The signing of Verrati by Real Madrid will see them make a statement to rivals Barcelona who recently secured the big money signing of Valencia’s Andre Gomes.
