Marco Verratti, a member of the Italian national team, landed in Doha on Monday night, advancing his €45 million transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to Qatar's Al Arabi by one step. The 30-year-old is scheduled to get a medical exam today in Doha. The centre midfielder was looking for a trade out of the Parisian team since he has not featured in Luis Enrique's plans for PSG this season.
Although Al Hilal and Al Ahli of the Saudi Pro League were rumoured destinations for him, a timely agreement could not be achieved. Fabrizio Romano tweeted that a deal had been reached with the Qatari team before the trades were formally revealed by the clubs.
Verratti, who will age 31 on November 5, left Serie B team Pescara and joined PSG in the summer of 2021. He had recently received a new contract from PSG, although it had only been in effect for nine months. Verratti's transfer makes him one of the most well-known footballers to sign with Qatar Stars League teams in recent memory.
