‘Here we go’: £38m player now close to joining Qatar side after being linked with Chelsea – Romano

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Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti is close to joining Qatari side Al-Arabi after being linked with a move to Chelsea.

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who says a deal worth around £38m is set to be completed.

The Italian journalist shared on Twitter: “Marco Verratti to Al Arabi, here we go! Verbal agreement finally sealed with the Italian midfielder who’s set to sign on a permanent deal with Qatari club.”

Last month, French outlet Foot Mercato claimed that Chelsea were interested in signing Marco Verratti.

In the end, though, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia were the players the Blues brought in to strengthen their midfield.

Marco Verratti could have been a good signing for Chelsea

Verratti is the kind of name that Chelsea supporters probably would have welcomed.

The Italy international is a quality midfielder with a lot of experience, something that Mauricio Pochettino’s side are lacking.

The Argentine has quite a young team, especially in midfield. Enzo Fernandez, Caicedo and Lavia, for example, are all under the age of 23.

Last season, Verratti completed 87.5 passes per league game, the most in his squad (WhoScored), so it is easy to see what the 30-year-old would have brought to Chelsea alongside all of his experience. On the ball, he is magnificent.

With all of that being said, it is not hard to see why the Blues prioritised a move for Caicedo. They needed a player of his profile, someone who is great at winning the ball back, especially after N’Golo Kante’s departure.

Caicedo has not made the greatest start at his new club, giving away a penalty on his debut against West Ham United, while you can still argue that Chelsea paid way too much money for him. However, they needed a ball-winner and got that in the Ecuadorian.