Imagining How PSG's Marco Verratti Would Fit at Juventus

Paris Saint-Germain were taking a calculated gamble by buying a then-19-year-old Marco Verratti from newly promoted Pescara.

The Azzurrini star had yet to play top-flight football, but Carlo Ancelotti, who was the manager at the time, clearly realised what an exceptional talent his countryman is, despite his lack of experience at the time.

Verratti has established himself with the Ligue 1 champions, despite the wealth of attacking options that often pushed Ancelotti into a 4-2-4 formation, leaving minimal space in the lineup for the youngster.

Laurent Blanc replaced Ancelotti this summer, and the former French national team manager has instilled a less-extravagant formation, adding an extra midfielder, which has benefitted Verratti's game time, allowing the Italian to start the last seven games.

Despite his success in France, Verratti continues to be linked with a return to Italy, where every club in Serie A would be waiting should PSG consider selling their starlet.

The Bianconeri were close to signing Verratti when it became clear that the Delfini could not hold onto their prized asset, despite promotion to Serie A.

But Verratti recently revealed to Italian radio station Radio Deejay (via Football Italia) the motives for snubbing the Old Lady: "I wanted to play and not be a reserve."

This suggests that he would be open to a move to Italy's biggest club should the situation change, as Verratti clearly looked at a midfield trident of Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo—not to mention fellow midfield wonderkid Paul Pogba—and doubted the minutes that Antonio Conte could provide him.

With a more prominent role in France, alongside a breakthrough into the Italian national side, Verratti would be ready to step into the Juve side and contribute immediately.

The Bianconeri have yet to extend Pirlo's contract, which expires next summer, meaning that a space could open up to sign a player of Verratti's calibre.

Increased exposure for Cesare Prandelli at the World Cup in Brazil might prompt Conte to push the board to sign Verratti and rebuild their midfield around the youngster.

Pirlo's passing has been erratic of late, and when the maestro's game is slightly off, Juve's game tends to break down, as was the case against Galatasaray in the Champions League, as well as in scrappy encounters with Chievo, Hellas Verona, Copenhagen and even Inter.

Verratti would provide a more patient build-up, often resisting the temptation to hit the champagne pass as much as Pirlo does.

Pirlo often makes Juve's midfield somewhat predictable at this stage of his career, as he is less able to break free from his regista role and look to dissect the opposition closer to their goal.

Verratti commented on how he relishes this part of his game with PSG to Radio Deejay: “I have a new tactical position now that lets me push forward more and see the goal consistently."

With Vidal's and Pogba's abilities to contribute at both ends of the pitch, Verratti would enable a more fluid midfield that could interchange considerably more than at present.

Marchisio would stay in the picture should he remain at the club, but Il Principino's place is already under threat from Pogba, so he would need to evolve his game more to fit this flexible system, which would allow Juve to become a more dangerous side on the European stage.

Verratti will continue to develop over the coming months and continue to provide evidence that Juve made a mistake not to sign him originally last year.

Standout performances in wins against Bordeaux, Valenciennes and Toulouse have already suggested that Verratti has become as important to Blanc as Thiago Motta and Blaise Matuidi, proving that he would not be phased by the stellar midfield he would be confronted with at the Juventus Stadium.

As Verratti adapts to the added freedom he is given under Blanc, with a greater influence in front of goal, goals, which have been absent up to this stage of his career, should naturally become a part of his game

At such a tender age, even at a price three times the one that PSG paid in 2012, Juve would probably be getting value for money, too.

Verratti might be able to fulfill plenty of his professional ambitions in France, filling his list of honours as Les Parisiens begin their assault on European football, but surely he will eventually itch for a move back to the peninsula.

Much like Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas before, Verratti will surely relish starring back home and competing for the scudetto, not to mention the increased exposure it would provide him as he begins to establish himself on the international stage.

Perhaps unfairly so, or even subconsciously, Italy tend to give more opportunities to home-based players, and with fierce competition from Pirlo, Alberto Aquilani, Riccardo Montolivo and even Andrea Poli—who is gradually adapting to life at Milan—Verratti might feel he needs to come home to take a hold on the national team.

Juve would be the ideal situation for him to shine with some of Europe's elite midfielders, all of whom would enhance his game and enable him to fulfill his potential to become one of the finest midfielders of his generation.