Barcelona Transfer News: Marco Verratti Clarifies PSG Summer Exit Rumours

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has suggested Barcelona were ready to offer €100 million for his services this summer.

The Italy international gave an interview to L'Equipe (h/t Goal.com's Robin Bairner) in which he said he seriously considered leaving the club:

"I'm honest, for the first time in five years I wondered if I should stay here.

"People think that I play for PSG for the money, but I could get that elsewhere, too. If I had moved in the summer, there were clubs ready to pay €100m to sign me and I would have earned a lot more.

"Neymar, he could have earned as much with Manchester City or Chelsea. He didn't sign here for the money but the project. It's the same with me."

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He also explained how a conversation with new sporting director Antero Henrique convinced him of the team's ambition and led him to stay.

Barcelona have long been linked with the former Pescara man, and the Catalans were flush with cash after Neymar left for Les Parisiens last summer. Given their need for reinforcements and to send a positive message to the fans, many thought they could move for Verratti.

The 24-year-old was even rumoured to have told PSG he wanted to leave, per sports writer David Amoyal:

According to Marca (h/t Uche Amako of the Daily Express), he had agreed to wages with Barcelona, but those rumours came to nothing.

PSG's lack of results in Europe had many questioning Verratti's future, given his standing as one of the world's best midfielders. The signings of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe showed the club's strong ambitions, however, and big things are expected in the near future.

The Ligue 1 giants have started the season in excellent form, with eight wins in nine matches in Ligue 1 and a perfect record in the UEFA Champions League. Their dominant 3-0 win over Bayern Munich indicates they're ready to challenge Europe's elite.

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Combined with PSG's enormous wealth―meaning they can put together an enticing wage package―it's easy to see why Verratti opted to stay, and he now believes he made the right decision.

Clubs like Barcelona and Juventus may well return for him in the future, but unless PSG continue to fail in Europe and the Italian falls out with the club, they'll have a hard time convincing him to leave or Les Parisiens to sell.