What’s the story?
Barcelona have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti, with the Italian set to force through a move to the Camp Nou outfit. According to Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo, the 24-year-old has already told his friends that it is ‘now or never’ for him to move to the club of his dreams.
Reports had earlier indicated that the Italian had handed a transfer request at the Parc des Princes outfit as he is fed up by the failure of the Ligue 1 giants to make massive strides in Europe. The Qatar-backed outfit were also pipped to the domestic league title by AS Monaco.
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In case you didn’t know…
Barcelona got an excellent chance to scout the Italian midfielder in their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Paris-Saint Germain in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, wherein Verratti was a standout player as he dominated the midfield of the Blaugrana.
The Catalan outfit did manage to overturn the deficit in the second leg as they completed one of the greatest comebacks of all-time to win the tie 6-5 annd knock PSG out of the tournament. Verratti was visibly distraught at full-time having witnessed his side’s unbelievable collapse.
The heart of the matter
The Camp Nou outfit endured a disastrous year by their standards after failing to win La Liga for the 3rd consecutive year, while also being knocked out of the Champions League by Juventus immediately after their memorable comeback against PSG.
Barcelona have replaced Luis Enrique with Ernesto Valverde as their new manager and are aiming for a squad overhaul to help them challenge for top honours once again and Verratti is central to their plans. The Catalan outfit struggled to assert their dominance in midfield and the 24-year-old is expected to help rectify this problem.
PSG have splashed the cash in previous transfer windows to assemble a team capable of challenging in Europe but have, so far, failed in their attempts. Verratti is said to be losing patience in the project of the Parc des Princes outfit and has urged his agent to inform PSG that he wants to leave for Barcelona.
Also Read: Reports: Barcelona's 8-man transfer shortlist revealed
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Author's Take
Marco Verratti is an ideal midfielder for Barcelona and will help address the Camp Nou outfit’s biggest issue, while also helping them challenge for top honours, once again. The move from Paris to Catalunya will not be easy and both Verratti and the Blaugrana know that but as we have seen in the past, when one of the two Spanish giants want a player, they usually end up signing them.
