The Saudi Pro League's spending spree continues as Saudi giants Al Hilal are on the brink of signing a PSG superstar — and no, it is not Kylian Mbappe.
In an unexpected announcement, Fabrizio Romano exclusively revealed that midfield maestro Marco Verratti is close to leaving the French capital for the Middle East. While the well-known journalist did not slap his iconic here-we-go stamp of approval on this, it is nearing completion.
EXCLUSIVE: Marco Verratti to Al Hilal, deal at advanced stages! Saudi club now closing in on agreement with PSG for the Italian midfielder #AlHilal
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 26, 2023
Three year contract offered to Verratti, documents to be prepared/checked soon.
Here we go soon — if all goes to plan. pic.twitter.com/ninO5Loyo1
If completed, the Italian sensation will become the latest figure in a growing list of talented footballers to leave Europe for the exciting – but equally controversial – Saudi Pro League, joining the likes of Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, and Jordan Henderson.
At Al Hilal, the Euro 2020 winner would join an eye-catching midfield trio alongside former Lazio ace Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Portuguese international Ruben Neves. While Al-Zaeem are yet to complete this deal, this bombshell has sparked a stir on social media.
The Azzurri ace is 30 and is still in his prime. Furthermore, he appeared settled in Paris yet could be waving goodbye to his club of 11 seasons and the opportunity to win that elusive UEFA Champions League crown.
Another interesting aspect is whether current Les Parisiens teammate Kylian Mbappe will join Verratti in Riyadh. Al Hilal have officially tabled a bid of over $332M for the goalscoring machine, which would make the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner the most expensive signing in history.
The attacker is no longer wanted at PSG after refusing to extend his current deal past 2024 as the Ligue 1 champions do not wish to lose their talisman for free next summer. As a result, the 24-year-old has been put up for sale, with Al-Zaeem willing to spend that astronomic fee to sign the Frenchman for only one year — this would allow Kylian to join his dream club Real Madrid for free in a year as he has always planned.
And according to L'Equipe, while the Qatari-owned club have accepted Al Hilal's offer, the player has rejected talks with the Saudi club. Nonetheless, he remains banished from the first team, with Luis Enrique's side leaving their superstar out of their pre-season tour of South Korea and Japan.
