End clap for Marco Verratti at Paris Saint-Germain. A true executive of the Parisian team, the Italian was recruited in 2012, while he was playing in Pescara, for 12 million euros, at the very beginning of the QSI project. But as he entered his twelfth season with the Parisian club, the Italian international midfielder (55 caps), who only extended until 2026 last December, had become unwanted this summer. His disappointing performances in 2022-23 and his exorbitant salary of €1.2 million per month prompted Nasser Al-Khelaifi and PSG to do everything to get rid of him, even if it meant permanently removing him from Luis Enrique’s pro group.
Aware of his midfielder’s poor future, Spanish coach Luis Enrique hardly played him during the pre-season tour before PSG decided in the middle of August to notify him in company of Neymar and other undesirables that he had to find a new club. His absence from the PSG list for the Champions League appeared to be the ultimate affront for the Little Owl who then resigned himself to agreeing to join Al-Arabi in Qatar, not really his first choice of the summer. Because despite meager interest from European clubs (Atletico Madrid in particular), we announced that PSG had reached an agreement with the Qatari club to release their 30-year-old player for compensation close to €50 million.
A Paris Saint-Germain executive leaves
More than ten days after the end of the summer transfer window in the biggest European championships, Paris Saint-Germain has just made its departure official through a press release. “After 11 years at Paris Saint-Germain, Marco Verratti joins Al-Arabi SC in Qatar. The Italian international will leave an indelible mark in the history of the Club., we can read in particular in the latter. Despite some last minute twists and turns, the midfielder having needed a final moment of reflection before leaving the capital club, Marco Verratti joined the Qatari club, which for its part made the news official with a video of presentation including… Fabrizio Romano.
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Author of 416 matches played (11 goals) in eleven seasons played with Paris, Marco Verratti is included in the book of the club’s emblematic players. Having become an Italian international and quickly elected best prospect in Ligue 1, he logically identified himself with the future of PSG, which he defines as his favorite club. However, persistent failures in the Champions League, his poor form over the seasons, and repeated suspensions have spoiled his rise to become a reference in European football. It is therefore in Qatar, at Al-Arabi, that he will attempt a new challenge at the age of 30. A real turning point in the career of the now ex-Parisian who will therefore try to relaunch himself both in club and in the Italian selection which he had refused to join in September to better concentrate on his transfer window.
