Manchester United are eyeing up a move for Marco Verratti this summer as Erik ten Hag aims to continue rebuilding his squad ahead of next season.
What’s the latest on Marco Verratti to Manchester United?
According to sources in Spain, United are one of three teams interested in signing the Italian midfielder from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer transfer window.
Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur are the other two clubs which will be fighting it out with the Old Trafford side and the battle for his signature could heat up relatively soon.
The 30-year-old has a contract until 2026 with the French giants and is currently valued at €36.1m (£31m) by FootballTransfers, meaning it could cost United a significant fee for them to prise the player away from Paris.
Could Manchester United sign Marco Verratti?
It isn’t out of the realms of possibilities that Ten Hag will be wanting to add another world-class midfielder or two to his squad ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Over time, there will naturally be players leaving and Brazilian midfielder Fred, who has just one year left on his contract, could be moving on sooner rather than later.
Verratti would be the perfect heir for the United star, and he could bring a much-needed winners mentality to the Red Devils, having won 20 major honours during his club career while helping Italy win Euro 2020 and this elite mindset could benefit Ten Hag massively.
The 30-year-old machine could thrive alongside Casemiro at the heart of United’s engine room, especially with his passing ability and tenacious nature. According to FBref, Verratti ranks in the top 5% across Europe’s big five leagues for pass success rate (92.5%), progressive passes per 90 (9.91), tackles per 90 (3.36) and blocks per 90 (1.90), clearly proving he is one of the best on the continent for dictating play and defensive acumen.
His importance to PSG is underlined by the fact he ranks first in the squad for accurate passes and fourth for both interceptions and key passes per game, suggesting the club could struggle should he move on, yet United could get the full benefit of his excellent midfield attributes.
His former Italy and PSG teammate Gianluigi Buffon once lauded Verratti for being “the only genuine talent in Italian football at the minute” a few years ago and being hailed by one of the finest goalkeepers in history suggests he is doing something right.
Fred may still be a United player next season, but his long-term future doesn’t look great, and the Dutchman will be planning on signing a replacement for him sooner rather than later.
In Verratti, they could land a ‘genuine’ world-class talent and this will only strengthen them going forwards.
