Marco Verratti 'leaning towards PSG stay amid Saudi Arabia interest'

The Italy international has been an integral cog in the Parisiens' engine room for over a decade and signed a new contract until the end of the 2025-26 season back in December.

While Verratti's time in Paris has been blighted by injuries, the 30-year-old has established a reputation as one of Europe's leading lynchpins when fully fit since joining from Pescara in 2012.

However, Verratti has been expected to join the mass exodus of players to the Saudi Pro League for the 2023-24 season, having apparently got off on the wrong foot with new head coach Luis Enrique.

Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli are both believed to be pursuing a deal for the Italian, but neither team has been able to meet PSG's asking price, thought to be in the region of €60m (£51.7m).

Now, L'Equipe claims that Verratti is instead leaning towards another season in PSG colours, having rebuilt burned bridges with Enrique following their frosty start.

Verratti had allegedly taken issue with how the transition from Christophe Galtier to Enrique was handled, but the former Barcelona boss still believes that he has a lot to offer.

Galtier often utilised a 3-4-3 formation during his only season at the Parc des Princes, but another spot should open up in the PSG midfield this season as Enrique adopts his tried-and-tested 4-3-3 setup.

Enrique supposedly believes that his PSG team will be stronger with Verratti in his midfield triumvirate, and the French champions are therefore refusing to sell for a cut-price fee, but the Spaniard does not feel that the 30-year-old is back to peak physical fitness yet.

Nevertheless, Verratti is supposedly inclined to remain in Ligue 1 unless PSG make it clear that he is no longer wanted, and he feels that staying with his current club would give him the best chance possible of regaining his place in the Italy setup.

Since his €12m (£10.3m) move to the Parc des Princes in 2012, Verratti has represented PSG 416 times in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and setting up 61 more.

The Italy international has won a staggering 30 major trophies with PSG - including nine Ligue 1 titles - but he is still waiting for his maiden Champions League crown.

Verratti only set up one goal in 38 matches during the 2022-23 campaign, but he remained a regular starter despite the arrivals of Carlos Soler, Vitinha, Renato Sanches and Fabian Ruiz, all of whom struggled to impress first time around.

PSG have further bolstered their midfield this summer with the captures of Manuel Ugarte, Cher Ndour and Lee Kang-in, while also triggering the £5m buyback option in Xavi Simons's PSV Eindhoven contract before loaning him out to RB Leipzig.

Lucas Hernandez, Milan Skriniar, Marco Asensio, Arnau Tenas have also arrived in Paris this summer, while Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele and Benfica's Goncalo Ramos are on the verge of joining the Ligue 1 champions.