Chelsea and Liverpool latest to be stung by Saudis as £70m target ‘agrees move’

Saudi side make huge £260m Kylian Mbappe offer

Chelsea and Liverpool are set to miss out on the signing of Marco Verratti as the two clubs become the latest to fall victim to the financial muscle of Saudi Arabian clubs. The PSG midfielder was reportedly a target for Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp this summer as both bosses try to improve the quality of their midfield options, but they are about to lose out in the race to sign the world-class operator.

Verratti, an Italy international with 55 caps and over 400 appearances for PSG, has been with the Parisian club for 11 years since his switch from Serie B outfit Pescara.

But he is set to bring an end to his time in the French capital this summer as the club prepare for a major shake-up, including the potential exit of Kylian Mbappe.

According to Sky Sports, PSG value Verratti in the region of around £70million, with interest from two Premier League clubs in the Italy international. Chelsea and Liverpool were the clubs mentioned in the report, and that will come as little surprise after Mauricio Pochettino stated his need for more experience to be added to his squad, as well as “at least one midfielder”.

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Jurgen Klopp is also in the market for at least one central midfielder after Jordan Henderson completed his £13m switch to Al Ettifaq, while  Fabinho is in talks over a switch to Al-Ittihad. Both deals would go some way towards funding his next move, having already seen a £40m bid for Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia rejected.

But for both Chelsea and Liverpool, the unavoidable truth is that they cannot compete with the wealth and financial power of the Saudi clubs. It would not make much business sense for them to offer £70m for a player with no resale value, as he turns 31 in November.

The only advantage they hold is the opportunity to stay in Europe and therefore close to home, but Verratti will know he stands a chance of earning enormous wages in the Arabian Gulf. Neither club is playing in the Champions League next season, and it seems the financial benefits may outweigh the sporting ones for the Italian.

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Indeed, a report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano mentions that Verratti is now in ‘advanced talks’ to join Al-Hilal, the club turned down by his PSG team-mate Mbappe. And the very mention of £70m fee – the most spent by any Saudi club so far – would barely make a dent in the Public Investment Fund (PIF)’s mega-rich coffers.

In fact, it would take Al-Hilal’s spending to around £220m already, having signed Malcom, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly. Aleksandar Mitrovic could be the next to join him if Fulham’s £52m asking price is met, with the Saudi club closing in on Chelsea’s record £323m expenditure in January this year.

There is a recognition now that the Premier League club cannot afford to spend so recklessly in the future due to the constraints of Financial Fair Play, but there is nothing to stop the growing influence of Saudi clubs from a total invasion of the European market – at least not yet.

The apparent failure of Chelsea and Liverpool to convince Verratti to snub the riches in Saudi only serves as a warning of what is still to come in the future – and English clubs being priced out of their targets may well become the new norm, rather than a one-time deal.

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