According to L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), Manchester United have expressed an interest in signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti.
The Italian has been a mainstay in PSG’s midfield for more than a decade, but new head coach Luis Enrique has decided that he is no longer in the club’s first-team plans. As a result, he is free to secure a fresh challenge and L’Equipe report that he is attracting a lot of interest.
According to the French outlet, the 30-year-old has agreed terms in principle with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, but they have not negotiated a transfer fee with PSG. This has opened the door for United to pounce and L’Equipe claim that a move to Old Trafford cannot be ruled out.
Experience
For a big part of the summer, United have been linked with a move for Fiorentina star Sofyan Amrabat, but no offer has been made so far. This suggests that the club are keeping their options open. With Verratti available in the transfer market, they could sign him instead of the Moroccan.
Casemiro joined Man United from Real Madrid during last summer’s transfer window and he was a huge hit during his debut season under manager Erik ten Hag. We could see something similar happening with Verratti. Ten Hag has shown that he is not averse to signing experienced stars.
Aside from Casemiro, he has also signed the likes of Christian Eriksen and Andre Onana since his appointment. It remains to be seen whether United can persuade PSG to sell Verratti on the cheap. The French champions value him at £51 million, but United will be hoping to land him for less.
Verratti would be a good acquisition for United as he is brilliant with the ball at his feet and also likes to engage in tackles and win regular duels. He would provide the club with the much-needed defensive cover that has been missing from midfield. Verratti currently earns £238,000 per week and a package of £300,000 weekly could convince him to join United.
