It's Time for PSG to Listen to Offers for Marco Verratti
No one questions Marco Verratti's ability, it's his availability that's the concern.
After a decade of loyal service, it’s time for Paris Saint-Germain to consider selling Marco Verratti when the summer transfer window opens.
When I first started tweeting that PSG should listen to offers for Verratti, I received some backlash. How could I want PSG to part ways with not only its best midfielder, but one of the best in Europe?
I admit the thought of a PSG squad without Verratti is terrifying—especially when you consider the makeup of the rest of the midfield—but moving the Italy international on might be the best way for the club to get to the next level. Let me explain.
Several players are returning from loan after the season, and almost all of them are expected to be sold or allowed to walk away on a free transfer. Financial Fair Play is keeping a close eye on PSG, and the club is expected to have around €80 million to spend on transfers without player sales this summer.
That figure reduces when you consider PSG will have to spend €30 million on Hugo Ekitike to make his loan from Stade de Reims permanent. This is where Verratti comes in. He is likely PSG’s most saleable asset outside Kylian Mbappé, and Transfermarkt puts his value at approximately €50 million. Personally, I think that’s low, and the club should hold out for no less than €70-€80 million.
The proceeds from Verratti's sale—plus the existing transfer budget—plus anything that comes in from player sales—should give Luis Campos, the man tasked with squad construction at PSG, a sizeable war chest to strengthen the defense and completely rebuild the midfield.
It's not all about the money, though. Verratti is also incredibly injury prone. Let's take a trip down memory lane:
2022-23 season: 7 games missed due to injury
2021-22 season: 10 games missed due to injury
2020-21 season: 22 games missed due to injury
2019-20 season: 5 games missed due to injury
2018-19 season: 4 games missed due to injury
2017-18 season: 15 games missed due to injury
And the list goes on. The most serious of his injuries include groin surgery in May 2016 and a tear in the abductor muscle in April 2018.
When he's not injured, Verratti is missing matches due to suspension. This season, Verratti has missed a Ligue1, UEFA Champions League, and Coupe de France match due to yellow-card suspension. In 2020, Verratti also missed the crucial second leg against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League due to suspension. It's almost become a joke at this point. For PSG supporters, it's not a Champions League night until Verratti has picked up a yellow card and gets himself suspended.
The 30-year-old Verratti joined PSG from Pescara in 2012, and it was the first "diamond in the rough" signing of the QSI era. He's grown up at the club, and unfortunately, I believe the club has damaged him mentally.
Verratti was on the pitch for two historic collapses in the Champions League. There was the 6-1 defeat to FC Barcelona in 2017 and then the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in 2019.
When PSG did have its breakthrough to the finals of the Champions League during the 2019-20 season, Verratti missed the aforementioned Round of 16 game against Dortmund, and then a calf injury kept him out of the quarter-finals clash against Atalanta. In the semi-finals against RB Leipzig, Verratti only played seven minutes, and in the final against Bayern Munich, he increased his minutes to 25.
These crushing failures on the biggest stage can damage a player's psyche. Verratti has been at PSG for a decade, and while I appreciate his loyalty, I wonder whether he still has the drive to be the best and win the biggest trophy, or if he’s become too complacent at PSG. Let's also remember that Verratti played a vital role in the Italy side that shockingly failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Between injuries, suspensions, a reported unhealthy lifestyle, and what I believe to be a fractured sporting mentality, it's time for PSG to part ways with Verratti, but only for a transfer fee that will allow PSG to rebuild.
In terms of possible replacements, I think PSG should target Seko Fofana at RC Lens, Sergej Milinković-Savić at Lazio, Mohammed Kudus at Ajax, Khéphren Thuram at OGC Nice, and Manu Koné at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Combined with Vitinha and Danilo, PSG's midfield could be better despite the departure of a player of Verratti's quality. I'm not saying Verratti isn't a world-class midfielder or hasn't done a lot of good for PSG; this is me saying Verratti is unreliable, and it's time for PSG to sell high before another injury tanks his value further.