Barcelona Transfer News: Marco Verratti Targeted Amid Arsenal Rumours

Barcelona are reportedly considering a move for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti in 2016, but they may face competition from Arsenal if they are to land the Italian international.  

According to Ignasi Oliva of Goal.com, the European champions have long been monitoring the 22-year-old after a recommendation from transfer chief Ariedo Braida. Oliva cites “sources in France” who claim that a bid of €50 million may be enough to prise Verratti away from the Parc des Princes next summer.

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There’s clearly a mutual admiration between the two parties. As noted in Oliva’s piece, Blaugrana boss Luis Enrique has previously insisted that the Italian “is a player who could fit in at Barcelona.” In the same article, Verratti is also quoted expressing his respect for the club, saying ”it is up to the people at Barcelona to decide [how I would fit in]. But it is true that I like their style.”

Here’s a look at why Verratti would look the part in Barcelona’s iconic jersey:

The team who play the game in a manner most comparable to Barcelona, Arsenal, are also apparently interested, according to George Bellshaw of Metro. 

In his piece, Verratti is quoted as insisting he’d love to play in England, Spain or Italy one day and that the Gunners are subsequently on "red alert": “You never know what can happen in the future. I’m doing well where I am and I’m not thinking about changing clubs. England, Spain and a return to Italy are possible options. The project is the most important thing.”

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As we can see here, courtesy of OptaJean, the midfielder began the Ligue 1 season for PSG with a real swagger:

The attributes are in place for Verratti to play for a team of Barcelona’s standard. As is evident by the above statistic, the midfielder has a vast range of passing, is a tremendously intelligent player and is tenacious in his efforts to win the ball back. But as of yet, the Italian isn’t quite ready for a move of such significance.

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Inconsistencies still creep into his game. Most notably, Verratti is a tad on the erratic side when it comes to his tackling, and that can often leave him walking a tightrope in matches. It’s something touched upon here by Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Johnson:

PSG is a club which is going places, too. Summer after summer, the French juggernauts continue to strengthen, and they’ll be hoping to go far in the Champions League this season. Verratti is a player who proved last season that he can be key to their cause, and you suspect he’ll relish doing so once again.

Eventually, Barcelona might move for the player, but there are very bespoke criteria to fulfil when playing in the midfield for the Catalan giants. Verratti has the talent to reach those kinds of levels, but as of yet, a few more seasons refining his talents at PSG would be the best course of action for this undeniably talented but still capricious young footballer.