Player Focus: Why PSG Must Strive To Keep Hold Of Marco Verratti

When you’re dubbed the new Andrea Pirlo, it would be of little shock to see a player crumble under the pressure. Not Marco Verratti, however. The young Italian was a pivotal member of the Pescara side that secured promotion to Serie A in 2012 as Serie B champions. Under the tutelage of then head coach Zdenêk Zeman, the midfielder excelled as the deep-lying playmaker in a 4-3-3.

Interest was high in the 20-year-old, but it was Paris Saint-Germain who secured the services of Verratti last summer and after many had expected him to play a peripheral role for the Ligue 1 side or even return to Pescara on loan, he was launched into competitive first-team action under Carlo Ancelotti. Alongside Blaise Matuidi in the middle of the park, the duo have formed a formidable partnership with the Frenchman providing the defensive solidity to allow the youngster to flex his creative muscles.

And flex them he did as PSG secured their first Ligue 1 title since 1994. For a player of his age, being overawed by turning out alongside the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Thiago Silva - to name three - wouldn’t have been a surprise, but Verratti took to his new surroundings like a duck to water, pulling the strings in midfield that saw him average 61.7 passes per game - only Thiago Motta (64.2) played more for the Parisian side - and end the domestic campaign with a pass success of 89.4%.

Regardless of his impressionable debut season in France, reports have suggested that PSG are prepared to listen to offers for as little as €20m for Verratti as the player aims to negotiate a new contract at the Parc des Princes. Understandably, it’s seen a number of Europe’s biggest teams raise an eyebrow in the direction of Paris as they look to strengthen during the transfer window.

With four assists to his name, it could be considered an impressive return for the player, who was regularly tasked with providing the creativity from deep, evidenced in that he made 24 starts as a holding midfielder in the 33 games he started in Ligue 1, the Champions League and the recent U21 European Championship. Predictably, it would be of the best interest for PSG to hold onto the player this summer, especially following the acquisitions of Edinson Cavani and Marquinhos turning the club from France's best to potential Champions League contenders.

In the likely 4-2-3-1 that recently appointed head coach Laurent Blanc looks set to adopt, Verratti would undoubtedly form half of the double pivot to aid in shielding the back four - Matuidi his partner in the position - while providing the ammunition for Lavezzi, Ibrahimovic and Lucas Moura to utilise. Moreover, with Marquinhos and Thiago Silva two ball-playing centre-backs, it’s expected of the player to recycle possession effectively, with Verratti a key figure in PSG instigating attacks from deep.

This notion is further reinforced in that the player executed 1488 accurate passes over the course of the season, averaging to pick out a teammate every 1.19 minutes; the best of every Ligue 1 players to have made five or more appearances last season. Further highlighting his creative capabilities, Verratti executed 20 key passes and created six clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, a figure that would likely increase with Cavani at the club and should he remain in Paris.

However, like every player, the midfielder has his imperfections. Discipline is somewhat problematic to Verratti, who picked up 10 Ligue 1 yellow cards last season - only Sambou Yatabaré (14) and Salif Sané (11) received more. Yet, for a player in his position, it’s somewhat expectant of him to receive a high number of cautions over the course of the campaign, not to mention his inexperience likely playing a significant role in this.

It’s an aspect of his game that would likely improve with age, further evidenced in the easiness in which opposition players drifted past him over the year. Only Olivier Sorlin (55) and Javier Pastore (49) were dribbled past more times than Verratti in France’s top tier last year, indicating that his positional sense and timing in the tackle needs to be worked upon, further accentuated in the for Italy U21’s, the midfielder was dribbled past an average of 3.8 times per game; the most during the European Championship in Israel.

Regardless, Verratti still averaged 87.5 passes per game throughout the tournament – only Spain’s Iñigo Martínez (89.4) played more – and with a pass success of 91.4%, it’s evident that the player boasts the ball playing capability to continue his growth as one the best ball playing midfielders across the continent.

It’s expected that Verratti will soon be fully integrated into the Italy national team and he certainly boasts the potential to step out of the shadows of Pirlo to make a starting spot with the Azzurri his own. While there is much to work on his game, at the age of 20 the likelihood of these facets improving remain high and it can be argued that it’s of the upmost importance for PSG to hold onto the young midfielder rather than allow a continental rival to significantly strengthen during the transfer window.