23 Mar 2013

'Il Gufetto di Manoppello' to LFC? Reds chase €30m star who is 'similar to Pirlo'.

Paris St. Germain midfielder Marco Veratti is a wanted man at the moment, and a whole host of top clubs are reportedly chasing the coveted 20-year old. Some fans would argue that the Reds don't need to sign any central midfielders this summer, but reports in France this week suggest that Liverpool have also joined the race for Verratti.

According to French newspaper Le Parisien, both Liverpool and Manchester United have 'shown their interest' in Verratti, and Real Madrid are eying the youngster as a potential replacement for the seemingly outgoing Xabi Alonso.

Verratti - nicknamed 'Il Gufetto di Manoppello (the Owl of Manoppello) for his vision in midfield - cost PSG €12 last summer, and in February, Sporting Director Leonardo slapped a prohibitive price-tage on the young midfielder. He told reporters:

“We all believe in Verratti here. We have no intention of selling him. There is no chance of any club signing him, especially as he is now worth no less than €30m or €40m”

On Thursday, Verratti's Agent, Donato Di Campli, followed Leonardo's lead and distanced his client from the rumours swirling around about his future. He told Radio Kiss Kiss:

"It’s all just talk for now. The boy is at PSG, he wants to stay and is part of the project. His future in Paris is not tied to that of boss Carlo Ancelotti. It would be very hard to see Marco back in Italy. Only a few clubs could buy him and even fewer could afford his wages.”

Despite the presence of some massive names at PSG, Verratti has still managed to make 34 appearances - including 26 starts - for the Ligue One giants this season, which is very impressive for a 20-year old, and the youngster is determined to learn all he can from recent acquisition David Beckham, as he told le10sport.com recently:

"During the weeks and months to come, I want to steal his [Beckham's] secrets and learn more about him and the way he plays"

Verratti is certainly well-regarded by other players across Europe. In December, he drew praise from his illustrious team-mate, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who enthused:

"Marco is the guy who has surprised me the most. I am in agreement with all the positive things being said about him. I would say he is even better than you think. He has immense talent. You just need to give him time to progress at his own pace. Nobody should forget that he just turned 20."

In February, Juventus star Claudio Marchisio paid him the ultimate compliment by comparing him to one of Italy's greats:

"Marco is still young and has room for improvement, but he already has a lot of quality. He is the player who is most similar to Pirlo. Andrea is a great player and still has plenty of years to play. We would be happy if he played for us forever, but Marco has some great qualities in his role, too"

Given how highly regarded he is, it seems unlikely that PSG will Verratti leave after just one year, and even if the youngster is available, the chances of him coming to Liverpool are probably slim to none, unless it's on loan.





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14 comments:

  1. I can't see how this would happen, but if it could, even if it is another rookie on the books, we should go for him. He looks to have a great football brain.

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  2. Not going to happen, just read the bit about 30 mill and did'nt bother to read any further.

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  3. I like players that are comfortable under pressure as he seems to be but his skills look more mechanical than natural.The O.A.P drag backs will get him two broken legs in the EPL.30 to 40 what a stupid valuation!

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  4. A quality, in form CM sat on the bench last week while an injured, underperforming manager's favourite played. That's half the problem with this team.

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  5. but its purely speculation...How do we know hendo didnt say something the Rodgers to piss him off? Thats speculation too but theres two sides to every story and sometimes the one you never even thought of is the true side

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  6. We need reinforcements in all departments. Our current squad is average at best. If we want to be up with the rest fighting for top four, radical changes must be made this summer. A situation where every player is fighting for a first eleven spot week in week out will benefit the team.

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  7. Utter Joke. 30-40 million?????

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  8. obviously he wouldn't fetch anything like that if he was sold

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  9. BR favouritises his son. End of story...
    Apparently, its not the victory of the team that matters... But the satisfaction of his overinflated ego...

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  10. Alonso will be our first signing, money is not his priority but coming back is.....................wait and see!!!, his agents are talking to Liverpool now!!!

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  11. i know 30million were having a laugh were not a big club no more something us fans will sadly have to accept ,i have and its not a nice feeling

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  12. its crazy m8 some on here think we will spend big in the summer it just wont happen ..chances are with out the European revenue we will sell big

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  13. agree m8 but fsg will still be seen as saviours by some

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