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What's the story?
Admittedly to be taken with a pinch of salt reports in Tuttomercatoweb suggest that Manchester United have moved on from the likes of Eric Dier and Fabinho and have set their eyes on uprooting unsettled PSG midfield general Marco Verratti. While the Italian was incessantly linked with Barcelona over the past few months - with Xavi calling him his natural successor and every expert worth his salt agreeing with the great Catalan - it appears that Jose Mourinho and Manchester United have come out of the blue to enter the game for the man who is arguably the world's best playmaking central midfield.
In case you didn't know
Veratti earlier issued a slightly awkward interview - in which he genuinely looked sad and teary-eyed - apologizing for his agent's comments that he wanted to leave PSG for a "bigger club". This was during the height of the Verratti-to-Barcelona rumours when the Italian seemed to have already made his move to Catalunya!
Here's the apology for those who haven't seen it yet:
He does, though, give off the air of an unsettled man and that could just be to Manchester United's advantage.
The heart of the matter
United were also interested in Chelsea's Nemanja Matic - but the whole Romelu Lukaku saga seems to have soured relations between the defending Premier League Champions and United - while Tottenham's unwillingness to back down from their steep asking price for Eric Dier seems to have put them off pursuing the Englishman.
Mourinho is understood to view Verratti as a successor to Michael Carrick - and the Italian would be a perfect fit.
Video
Here's Verratti working his magic for PSG:
Imagine a midfield of Ander Herrera, Paul Pogba, AND Marco Verratti... OOO! LA! LA!
Author's Take
Verrati is the consummate midfielder - capable of controlling a game from in deep with the easy confidence of a true deep-lying playmaker, what the Italians call a regista. Possessed of a magical right foot that can split-open defenses with a lazy wave, he would make the perfect trio for Manchester United alongside the all-action Paul Pogba and the aggressive Ander Herrera. This would enable Jose Mourinho to reinvent his philosophy and build his team around the playmaking abilities of the Italian.
The likelihood of this happening, though, is still very minimal - with Barca still obvious favourites to his signature if he decides to move - United's willingness to splurge on players they believe in could well tip PSG's hand this time.
