Liverpool have reportedly been offered the chance to sign an experienced midfielder who can boast a glowing reference from a certain Lionel Messi.
According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, the Reds are among several Premier League clubs who’ve been contacted about the possible availability of Marco Verratti.
The former Paris Saint-German player is now with Al-Arabi in Qatar and could be tempted by a return to Europe, although it hasn’t yet been confirmed whether or not the 31-year-old is hugely keen on leaving the Middle East.
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Upon joning PSG three years ago, Verratti was dubbed a ‘phenomenon‘ by Messi, with their pair spending two years as teammates in Paris before moving to Qatar and Miami respectively.
During his time in France, the Italian stood out as an excellent distributor of the ball, routinely keeping his pass success above 90%. He also had a proficiently for beating players one-on-one, with his rate of successful take-ons consistently exceeding 80% at the Parc des Princes (FBref).
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Whilst not the specialist number 6 that Liverpool are craving, he could give the Reds a potential option in that area of the pitch, having played as a defensive midfielder more than 100 times in his career (Transfermarkt).
However, at 31, Verratti doesn’t fit the age profile that LFC typically pursue in the market, and this rumour feels more like a player being opportunistically presented as an option than one whose name Richard Hughes has circled in unmistakable red marker.
In truth, we don’t see the Anfield hierarchy jumping at the apparent chance to sign the Italian before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month, even if the need for recruitment is glaring after a dismally quiet summer up to now.
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