A page of Paris-Saint-Germain during the QSI era is turning. According to information from L’Équipe, Italian midfielder Marco Verratti, emblematic player of the football club since his arrival in 2012, will sign in Qatar for the Al-Arabi club. Several signs suggested the possibility of an imminent departure, the most important being his absence from the list of players selected by coach Luis Enrique to play in the Champions League.
Pillar of PSG for many years, Marco Verratti had a bad 2022-2023 season, and was placed on the unwanted list with the change in club policy and the arrival of Luis Enrique this summer. At 30 years old, “Little Owl” was first approached in Saudi Arabia, which this year recruited a host of stars, most of them aging. He will finally fly to Qatar, just like his teammate Julian Draxler who will join Al-Ahli SC. Although the transfer window has ended in Europe since September 2, transfers to Qatar are still possible, hence these two late signings.
For once, Paris has been very active in terms of departures. After the sporting failure of the previous season, despite an 11th French championship title, the club, owned by Qatar, wishes to open a new era. Exit therefore the mega stars Lionel Messi and Neymar, and the players who have become “undesirable” with exorbitant salaries: the project is intended, this time, to be centered on Kylian Mbappé, put back at the center of the game, after having been sidelined for several weeks, at the following his decision to stay until 2024, without extending his contract.