Barcelona’s efforts to sign Marco Verratti from PSG this summer look increasingly doomed to failure. Wheeled out in front of the cameras, Verratti was last week made to apologise after his agent accused PSG of keeping the midfielder prisoner.
Rather than rebel, which Barcelona will feel would have helped them seal a transfer, Verratti behaved like a good little footballer and did what was asked of him.
In a column for Mundo Deportivo on Monday, Xavier Munoz explains that the transfer market has gone crazy. With huge fees for footballers who wouldn’t be considered among the world’s best, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to sign players, even for Barcelona.
That’s where Ander Herrera comes in. With a Manchester United contract expiring in June 2018, Mundo Deportivo believe there’s a path for Barcelona to sign Herrera for nothing. There have been claims Manchester United hold an option to automatically extend for a year, hence the lack of panic, but that doesn’t seem to be accepted in Spain.
If Barcelona are serious with Herrera then Munoz believes the plan should be as follows: ‘Convince him not to renew with Manchester United, and to come in 2018’
Jose Mourinho would quite possibly combust at such a thought, but until Herrera actually renews at Old Trafford, or it’s made clear directly by the club that the deal ends in 2019, it’s reasonable for the Barcelona media to make the suggestion.
