Paris Saint-Germain
midfielder Marco Verratti reportedly wants a move to Barcelona this summer, and
the Catalan giants are said to be preparing a €100
million (£88.4 million) offer for his services. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich's
Renato Sanches has picked the Camp Nou as his next destination.
According
to Loic Tanzi and Ignasi Oliva of Goal, Verratti has informed PSG of
his desire to leave the French capital in order to join a club "who can
compete with the very best in Europe."
It
was at Barcelona's hands that Verratti's side suffered what is certain to
be one of the most painful defeats of his career, surrendering a 4-0 first-leg
lead to lose 6-5 on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 last
season.
That clash would have given Verratti a better
chance to get a look at the Blaugrana up close and personal, although Gianluca
Di Marzio reporter David Amoyal noted it may not be the player's decision:
Will be very interesting to see how PSG
handles Verratti's request to leave for Barcelona- they didn't let Rabiot &
Matuidi leave in past
It's no secret Barcelona are preparing for life
after Andres Iniesta, whose time at the top level is limited after turning 33
in May. Verratti is believed to be seen as a playmaking star in the same
mould as the World Cup winner.
The Italy international has established himself
as one of the most well-rounded pass-masters in football since moving to the
Parc des Princes from Pescara in 2012. The Independent's Ed Malyon recently
put the magnitude of this potential deal into context and didn't pull any
punches in illustrating its consequences:
If Marco Verratti gets his wish and moves
this summer, it could be the most impactful deal of the year http://bit.ly/2riFgdr
Verratti, 24, has another four years left to run
on his contract, meaning that unless Barcelona are able to match PSG's
valuation of the player, the midfield marvel may be forced to remain with the
Ligue 1 titans.
In any case, Barca may not be desperate to land
Iniesta's successor, but after failing to win La Liga or the Champions League
this term, improvements are needed.
To that end, however, commentator Derek Rae
recently questioned whether Verratti is worth the reported sum:
100 million Euro offer by Barca for PSG's
Marco Verratti? Super player but 100 mill?
Elsewhere, Bayern Munich flop Sanches is said to
have picked the Camp Nou as his next destination after failing to meet
expectations during his maiden season with the Bundesliga powerhouse.
Spanish outlet Diario Gol reported Sanches'
agent, Jorge Mendes, has held "preliminary talks" with Barca and that
the player wants the move (h/t The Sun's Geoff Sweet). The
19-year-old made just six league starts last season, and Bayern legend Lothar
Matthaus recently described the Portuguese's first year in Bavaria as
disappointing, per ESPN FC:
Sanches will reportedly turn
down Manchester
United's interest for the second summer running in favour of a move
to Barcelona, although there's still the question as to whether the Blaugrana
reciprocate the interest.
According to the report, Sanches "has his heart set" on
a transfer to Catalonia, but after losing some of the momentum he worked so
hard to build at former club Benfica, his signing may not represent the best
use of funds.
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