Paris Saint-Germain midfielder wanted to join Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti reportedly wanted to join Barcelona in the year 2017, according to his agent. The Italian reportedly admires the Blaugrana heavily and what they try to do on the pitch, their mentality, and their way of playing football.

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The Italian midfielder was signed by Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 when he was a teenager from Pescara. The number six has now been playing for the French giants for a total of 9 years. Verratti is nothing less than a hero and a legend for the fans at Parc des Princes. The central midfielder has played a very huge role in the introduction to PSG’s dominance over the last decade as a powerful role. However, his agent has now revealed that the player wanted a move to the Nou Camp in 2017.

Verratti’s agent stated that Barcelona were interested in him in 2017. The midfielder instructed his agent to hold talks with Blaugrana and even Paris Saint-Germain as his contract was on the line. Veratti’s agent specifically mentioned that the Italian was heavily interested in joining Barcelona.

The Catalans lost many vital midfielders during that period with the likes of Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez retiring from European football. These champion midfielders could never really be replaced at the Nou Camp but Barca struggled to even find suitable reinforcements for the positions. Barca were heavily considering the talented Marco Verratti as he could have made a major impact and helped Barcelona to maintain that same level they had with those world-class midfielders. Obviously, he would not be able to be exactly like them but he surely has the potential.

His agent also stated that he is a huge admirer of Lionel Messi and that he would have loved to play alongside the Argentine. While both the player and his agent are aware of the fact that PSG are a big club, the agent stated that for Veratti to be a champion he needed a move to a bigger club like Barcelona and to a better and more competitive league like the La Liga.

Unfortunately for both sides, this particular transfer did not fall through but recent statements from the agent have revealed how much Verratti was interested in a move to the Nou Camp. The way the Italian midfielder plays and his movement on the ball and on the pitch, he would have been a fantastic asset to the Catalans.

Should Barca have looked to sign Verratti over the likes of Coutinho?