- 3 Jun 2024
The truth behind Verratti’s failed Barcelona transfer
Carlo Garganese
- Updated: 17 May 2021 18:42 BST
- 2 min read
The former agent of Marco Verratti has revealed why the PSG star’s transfer to Barcelona didn’t go through in 2017.
Verratti was Barca’s top target in both the summers of 2016 and 2017, with the Italian midfielder making it clear that he wanted to move to Camp Nou.
However, the transfer eventually failed to materialise and Verratti instead signed a new contract and replaced his agent Donato Di Campli with Mino Raiola.
“When Barça contacted me, I asked Marco what he wanted to do,” Di Campli told L’Equipe.
“He told me to talk to them. PSG was not very strong at the time and I asked him: ‘Are we going or are we staying?’
“And he answered me: ‘Okay then, let’s try another experience.’
“PSG asked him to commit his future to the club, but Marco wanted to go to Barcelona. He wanted to play with Messi, to become a champion, which is different from being a great player.
“PSG is one of the biggest clubs in the world, but he’s playing in a weak championship. I told Marco that if he wanted to become a champion he had to move. It is nothing against PSG, but it’s easier to do it at Bayern Munich, Barcelona or Real Madrid.
“When he realised that it was not possible, he was afraid. He did not want to be cut off and not play. When he returned to Paris, they told him: ‘We are going to sign Neymar, we are going to extend your contract, but you have to change your agent.’
“He was forcing me to leave him for waging war to take him to Barcelona, but he backed off.
“I started with a Kalashnikov and ended up with a water pistol.”
The 28-year-old joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 from Italian side Pescara.
Read more about: Marco Verratti, Neymar
