Italian midfielder Marco Verratti has signed from Paris St-Germain to Qatar’s Al-Arabi for a reported 45 million euros (£38.7 million).
This move comes just a week after Aston Villa’s Philippe Coutinho joined Al-Duhail on a season-long loan in Qatar.
Verratti’s departure from PSG marks the end of an era, having spent over a decade with the club and winning an impressive nine Ligue 1 titles.
His time with PSG was filled with success, and he also played a crucial role in Italy’s triumphant Euro 2020 campaign.
Expressing his sentiments about his PSG journey, Verratti said, “I was very proud to wear the colours of Paris St-Germain for more than a decade, to rub shoulders with so many great players and to win 30 trophies.
Paris, the club, and its supporters will always have a very special place in my heart. I will be Parisian forever.”
Verratti’s transfer follows a trend of European-based players moving to the Middle East. Neymar, Verratti’s former PSG teammate, made a high-profile move to Al-Hilal for £77.6 million in August.
At Al-Arabi, Verratti will reunite with Rafinha, another former PSG player and the twin brother of Liverpool midfielder Thiago. The two had previously played together in Paris from 2020 to 2022.
Although there were earlier rumours of Verratti heading to the Saudi Pro League, no deal materialized before the 7th of September transfer deadline.
Now, Verratti looks ahead to his new chapter in Qatar, aiming to make an impact with Al-Arabi.
