Marco Verratti's Potential Is Limitless, but PSG Have a Ceiling
Marco Verratti is the perfect symbol for this current Paris Saint-Germain squad. He's a promising young talent moulded and developed into a gifted international, and he has the world at his feet. However, it may take something special for the midfielder to reach the next level.
PSG signed the Italian from Pescara in the summer of 2012, after they had just missed out on the Ligue 1 title by three points to Montpellier HSC. Thiago Silva, Lucas Moura, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic also joined that window.
Verratti wasn't the marquee signing, but he hit the ground running and looked promising. When he made his debut on the opening day of the season, all eyes were on Ibrahimovic. However, Verratti would start 23 games in his maiden season, with 11 yellow cards and one red. There was no denying his tenacity.
During the next two campaigns, the young Italian would quickly establish himself as one of PSG's most important players and easily one of the hottest midfielders in Europe.
His talent was undeniable. Carlo Ancelotti saw it, Laurent Blanc appreciated it. They knew how good he could be but often prodded the terrier to alter his style to a more safety-first approach.
Verratti talked about his style and his managers' resistance to it, per the Telegraph.
"I have always done that, ever since I was young and when I join a new team or I play with a new manager there is always a bit of a fight at the beginning and then they understand that’s my style of play and they eventually do it.
It is stronger than me. I want to play differently because I think I have got something, something different, and if one day I let a goal happen that should not have happened then, well, I will take the responsibility for that but I will also continue to play that way.
"
As infuriating as it can be, it is also wonderful to watch. Refusing to take the easy way out, Verratti will twist and turn to evade pressing attackers and find a way to scramble out of trouble.
Still only 23 years old, he has already made 111 league appearances in France, picked up 36 yellow cards and scored three goals.
"Ever since Verratti arrived at PSG, I figured we would see a future big star," Swedish journalist and PSG fan Andreas Karlsson told Bleacher Report. "I just didn't think he would make such an impact so fast."
"The Italian is already one of the best central midfielders in the world. And if you actually take a close look at Verratti’s performances for PSG, you can clearly see the development he has had. It's quite amazing," Karlsson continued.
Injury hampered his progression last season, but there is no doubt he has the footballing world at his feet. PSG know it. He knows it. His agent, Donato Di Campli, certainly knows it.
"It's an issue of motivation. Every now and then, a player has to seek out new adventures," he told French magazine So Foot (h/t ESPN FC).
"That doesn't mean we are thinking of a change of scenery right now, because Verratti hopes to continue here as long as possible, but one day we will have to face up to this possibility," Di Campli added.
Like every young player, Verratti has ambitions of winning the UEFA Champions League. He has said in the past that he wants to stay in Paris until it happens, but perhaps the situation has changed after four seasons of reaching the quarter-finals and PSG failing to advance.
Verratti discussed the situation, per the Telegraph.
"We have got a new manager, that was the choice of the club, and he’s already done very well in Europe. He has won three consecutive Europa League trophies (with Sevilla), and I hope he is now going to do the same in the Champions League.
With a new manager it feels good, we have also got some new players, they are a bit younger but we have already got a lot of experience. We hope that the manager is going to give us something a bit extra to help us go forward in the Champions League.
"
New PSG manager Unai Emery has not had the quickest of starts. The draw against Arsenal in the Champions League was a disappointment. Defeats to Monaco and Toulouse in the league exposed weaknesses in the Spaniard’s team.
They were far from a one-man team, but without Ibrahimovic, PSG look substantially weaker than they did last summer.
The Parisians' chances of winning Europe's elite competition, especially against the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, look a lot slimmer.
Playing in Ligue 1, PSG are always going to find it difficult to raise their game to the next level. The league competition isn't as strong as they would like, which makes the jump to Europe tougher as the rounds progress.
This means that PSG, as a club, have a ceiling. There is only so far they can go. You have to believe that is what Di Campli was talking about.
"What worries me, though, is that if PSG doesn't take a step forward in the Champions League, he might take a look at his options," Karlsson said. "There will be plenty for him to choose from if he does decide to look around."
"With Verratti on the field, you can immediately see a positive difference. The best example is to look at this season when he has missed games. There is a lack of creativity in the centre of the pitch. A quick, creative, agile and technically gifted player with amazing control with the ball at his feet, close to his feet. With him, you never have to worry that he will lose the ball," Karlsson added.
One club that has always been mentioned when the subject of Verratti's future has been in doubt is Serie A champions Juventus, per Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t ESPN FC). Bleacher Report's Adam Digby explained that it has been a longstanding appreciation.
"Even before he left for France, Verratti had long been linked with a move to Juventus, as seen in this Goal.com story, only for the Bianconeri to sign Paul Pogba from Manchester United instead, and that decision ultimately led to Paris Saint-Germain being able to snap up the talented youngster.
"Now that he has developed into a genuinely talented star, it is difficult to imagine any Serie A side other than the Old Lady being able to tempt him back to Italy or be able to afford to do so.
"Of course," Digby continued, "by the time he is ready to leave Ligue 1, it might well be different. But for the moment, the other clubs would all be a step down for a player of his calibre."
Whenever the opportunity to move in arises, there is little doubt that the biggest and the best teams will be knocking down PSG's door to make a deal. Plus, it may be that next move that finally helps the midfielder ignite his international standing.
"Verratti’s national-team career remains something of an unknown quantity, somehow managing to collect just 17 caps despite playing over 100 games for PSG," explained Digby.
"That number should rise rapidly in the coming years, particularly as Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi and Thiago Motta all fade away, with the Pescara native likely to feature alongside Claudio Marchisio for the foreseeable future," he added.
Real Madrid and Barcelona may salivate over the prospect of signing the diminutive Italian, but the Juventus link will be a strong one to fight against.
Verratti, a boyhood Juve fan, talked about the Bianconeri's influence on him as a young player, per FourFourTwo.
"My hero growing up was Alessandro Del Piero. Back then, he was one of the world’s greatest, and to see him play really excited me.
He always was one of my idols. He’s a great person on and off the pitch. Alex transmitted serenity and calmness and has a radiant personality. Among midfielders, I also liked Zinedine Zidane. It really was a pleasure to watch him for Juventus.
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As Juventus try to rebuild after losing Pogba and other world-class internationals over the last two summers, perhaps what both parties need is an Italian terrier to help the Old Lady scrape and claw all the way to the top.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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