Barcelona line up surprise swap transfer with PSG

Barcelona are eyeing up a surprise transfer deal for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti.

According to Todo Fichajes, the Catalan giants hope to try offering around €40-50million for Verratti, with Philippe Coutinho also heading to PSG as part of the deal.

This would be an intriguing exchange, with Coutinho proving a major flop at the Nou Camp, but perhaps looking like a player who could fit in well at PSG.

The Brazil international clearly hasn’t lost all his talent over night, so might benefit from playing at a slightly less competitive level in Ligue 1.

PSG are hugely dominant in the French top flight, so Coutinho might be more able to play his game and express himself in a way that brings his confidence back.

Verratti, meanwhile, looks ideally suited to Barca’s style of play, and could give them a much-needed long-term replacement for the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic, who have all left in recent years.

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The Italy international has been a huge success at the Parc des Princes but might well now feel like a new challenge.

It would definitely be intriguing to see this exchange go through as it could benefit both sides pretty well, even if it looks a better move for Barcelona on paper.