Why does Barcelona want Verratti?

"I wish I had the right leg of Ronaldo and the left leg of Messi"

Photo credit: Troll Football/ Facebook

Hey football fanatics, thank you for tuning in once again. Today we'll talk about one of the hottest transfer rumors this summer. And that would be Verrati ➡️ FC Barcelona. But, before we start, let's get to know Verratti a little better, in case you're not too familiar with him.

Marco Verratti

Marco Verratti is a 24-years-old talented Midfielder who currently plays for Paris Saint-German and Italy. Ever since he was a kid he was a mad football fan, in fact, he supported the 'Vecchia Signora' a.k.a. Juventus FC, and his idol was Alessandro Del Piero (can't blame him, Del Piero was as good as they get).

Being born in Pescara, Italy, Verratti made his official debut for his local club Pescara at the shocking age of 15 years and 9 months. After helping Pescara get promoted to Serie A, he won the 2012 Bravo Award for best player under 21 in Europe, and as you can guess, all the big Europeans clubs wanted to sign him.

Long story short, on July 18, 2012, Verratti joined French Giants Paris Saint-German where he automatically became a starter. Now, 5 years later, he has proven to be a consistent, creative midfielder who can play as CDM, CM, CAM.

"He's one of the best midfielders in the world, and plays a little bit in the same way as I tried to do with Barcelona and the national team. He likes having the ball. He also has perfect mastery over long and short passing, he can play the final ball, and he doesn't lose the ball that easily. He's really a very high-class player"
—Xavi on Verratti in 2015
Source: Wikipedia

Why does FC Barcelona want Verratti?
Now that we learned some basic information about Verratti, let's talk a little more about what makes him such a desirable player for the FC Barcelona board.

As quoted above by the legend Xavi Hernandez, Verratti is the kind of player that would fit perfectly in the FC Barcelona scheme, a team where ball possession is so essential. Being described as a quick, creative, with great dribbling skills, quick reactions, and close ball control, his confidence on the ball and ability to retain possession in tight spaces when under pressure, due to his low centre of gravity, is exactly what FC Barcelona is looking for.

Personally, I believe that the number one quality that put him above the rest is his versatility. Verratti could rotate positions with Iniesta, Busquets, and Rakitic (he has played all those positions before and excelled at them) and after a season where FC Barcelona under performed for having no squad depth, Verratti is exactly what FC Barcelona needs.

Having in mind that Andres Iniesta is 33-years-old and playing the last years of his career, signing a 24-years-old world class player like Verratti as a future replacement is just common sense.

Spanish newspapers have strongly linked 3 players with FC Barcelona this season: Verrati, Bellerin, and Dembele. Who is most likely to join Barcelona this summer? Participate by commenting your thoughts.

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