Marco Verratti (30-Paris Saint-Germain), who has been a key midfielder for the past 11 years, appears to be on his way out. He is currently in talks with Al-Hilal, with a move to Saudi Arabia reportedly imminent as personal agreements are being finalized.
“토토사이트 Verratti is in talks with Al-Hilal,” European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano said on social media on Sunday (July 27), adding, “The contract is for three years. A personal agreement is being finalized,” he said exclusively, adding the trademark “Here we go, there we go” line.
Verratti is a midfielder who has been an integral part of the Paris Saint-Germain squad since arriving from Pescara Calcio in 2012. In fact, he has played 416 games (11 goals – 61 assists) for the club, which is good enough for second place on the all-time appearances list. First place goes to Jean-Marc Pilozé (65-retired).
During this time, he lifted a total of 30 trophies in all competitions, including nine French Ligue 1 titles and six Coupe de France titles. This remains the most trophies won by a Paris Saint-Germain player in history. It’s no exaggeration to say he’s a living legend.
However, Verratti has been linked with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain since last May. In fact, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Atletico Madrid have been specifically linked with the player.
The mood was set for a parting of the ways when Paris Saint-Germain declared that they would not block a move for the player, who is now in his 30s and is no longer as competitive as he once was. This is an ‘unusual’ situation considering that he signed a new contract in December last year, extending his contract until 2026.
In the midst of all this, Berati, who had been contemplating a move, surprised everyone by accepting Al-Hilal’s offer and seemingly heading to Saudi Arabia. The personal agreement is already being finalized, and it is believed that Paris Saint-Germain will approve the transfer as soon as they receive a €30 million bid, according to Romano.
If the deal goes through, Verratti will join the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly (32), Leo Varane (26), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (28), and Malcom (26-plus Alhilal) in the squad. He will also be joined by Aleksandar Mitrovic (28-Fulham), who is also expected to join the squad.
Verratti’s departure is “good news” for Lee, who recently joined Paris Saint-Germain. While there is no overlap in playing style or tactical utilization, Lee will have a slightly easier time competing for a starting spot in the same midfield position.