Why PSG's Marco Verratti Would Be a Fantastic Signing for Manchester City

After the season Manchester City have had, it seems clear there will be significant changes at the club during the summer. From free-scoring title-winners to insipid underachievers, it’s been a season of regression at the Etihad.

Manuel Pellegrini, the first-team manager, will have his position reviewed, with a strong end to the season and a lack of viable alternatives potentially set to secure his job and allow him to see out the final year of his contract.

But whoever is in charge, a revamp of the squad seems necessary and likely. There’s been a lack of pace and urgency in the City side for much of the season. A few players appear to be past their prime, and a younger, faster type of player will surely be targeted to return the side to their attacking best.

Midfield has become something of an issue. Yaya Toure has failed to find his best form this season and could be sacrificed if the right offer arrives on Pellegrini’s desk. He’s irreplaceable, given the mix of attributes he possesses, but considering he turns 32 this month, the club are likely to consider suitable offers for him should they arrive. 

The signing of Fernando hasn’t worked out so far. A wonderful start saw him collect the Man of the Match award in his first two games for the club, but an injury against Stoke at the Etihad early in the season halted his progress. Since then, his best displays have been fleeting, with a lack of mobility particularly holding him back.

Frank Lampard has been an excellent addition, but he will depart the club in the summer and join New York City FC, leaving Fernandinho, 30, as arguably the most consistent midfielder in the squad. Additions are perhaps needed.

Marco Verratti, Paris Saint-Germain’s 22-year-old Italian, is exactly the kind of player the club need. Whether he can be prized from the Ligue 1 side’s grasp is open to debate, but the deep-lying, tough-tackling midfielder has the vision and technical quality needed to pick the ball up off the back four and start attacks. He would be the ideal man to bring a new dimension to City.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

His tenaciousness makes him formidable defensively, but he isn’t just a player who sits in front of the back four and makes tackles. He’s a forward-thinking player capable of creating from deep and providing real quality on the ball. It's a potent mix—a modern midfielder who could add so much to City's midfield. 

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The nominees for Ligue 1 Player of the Year: Alexandre Lacazette Javier Pastore Marco Verratti Zlatan Ibrahimović pic.twitter.com/o65dgxN301

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 5, 2015"

His performances in this season’s Champions League have been striking. Against Chelsea, in particular, he dominated the midfield battle and gave PSG the upper hand.

The west Londoners have waltzed to the Premier League title largely unchallenged, often controlling the midfield with ease, with the power of Nemanja Matic and the guile of Cesc Fabregas too much for most teams to handle. However, against Verratti, it was a very different story.

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No player in Europe's top 5 leagues has completed more passes this season than Marco Verratti (2305). Special talent. pic.twitter.com/VcCyC9ibVO

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 5, 2015"

No player in world football can conceivably replace Toure. If City do decide to sell the Ivorian, it’s likely to require a blend of two quality midfielders to even come close to replicating him at his best.

The likes of Paul Pogba, Ross Barkley and Verratti are the kind of players City will be looking at. Their young, dynamic and possess the quality needed to improve the club’s first-team squad.

There’s something of a reconstruction needed in City’s midfield, and it’ll be fascinating to see how the club approach the task. Verratti should be part of their plans.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.