Barcelona have reportedly been offered the chance to sign a player they have been heavily linked with in the past — former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti.
That’s according to a recent report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, who claims the Italian playmaker, now playing in Qatar with Al-Arabi SC, has been presented to Barcelona as an alternative option for Xavi’s midfield which sees the tactician utilise a double-pivot.
Marco Verratti offered to Barcelona
Linked with a move to the Nou Camp back in 2017, Verratti, now 31, was denied the chance to move to La Liga after Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi refused to negotiate his star man’s sale.
However, seven years later and, assuming Al-Arabi SC and Barcelona could agree on an eventual fee, the Pescara-born star could finally secure his dream transfer and return to Europe’s big time just 12 months after departing France.
Verratti’s proposed return to European football is likely to hinge on the midfielder’s willingness to take a significant pay cut though.
Unlikely to earn at Barcelona what he is in Qatar, Verratti, represented by super-agent, and heir to Mino Raiola’s throne, Rafaela Pimenta, must decide what means more to him — money, or the chance to play at the highest level again.