Ex PSG Veteran Speaks on His Dream to Play for Barcelona, Names 'Best Midfielder Ever'

• Spanish giants Barcelona remain one of the elite clubs in football
• An ex-PSG star has opened up on his admiration for the Catalans
• The veteran has also named his pick for 'the best midfielder ever'

The summer transfer window of 2017 was brimming with high expectations for Barcelona fans, who were hoping to secure some of football's biggest stars.

This optimism arose due to the Catalan giants' lacklustre performance in the 2016-17 season. However, it concluded on a sombre note for La Blaugrana, marked by the surprising departure of Neymar Junior.

The Brazilian bade farewell to Camp Nou for a staggering €222 million, making his transfer one of football's most astonishing and unpredictable moves.

Despite Neymar's unexpected exit, Barcelona remained eager to acquire one of Paris Saint-Germain's prized midfield talents, Marco Verratti but their pursuit of the midfielder eventually fell through.

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This turn of events was confirmed in an interview by Verratti's former agent, Donato Di Campley, who revealed that the Italian star had indeed desired a move to Barcelona in 2017. Unfortunately, PSG refused to release him, as reported by Marca.

Nonetheless, six years after this unsuccessful endeavour, the former PSG star has reflected on one of the most significant 'what-ifs' in recent football history.

Verratti on dream to play for Barcelona

In an interview with Alkass TV Sports, the 30-year-old midfielder, who moved to Al-Arabi for €45mil during the summer, was faced with a series of questions.

When asked about the team he had always dreamt of playing for, Verratti unsurprisingly responded with 'Barcelona'.

"They were a team whose style of play I liked very much," he commented.

Verratti's mention of the Catalans did not end there. He also hailed Andres Iniesta as the greatest midfielder ever and expressed his affection for Barca as his favourite team.

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When faced with the eternal debate of choosing between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the former PSG player sided with the Argentine, declaring him, 'The best in history'.

Lastly, when questioned about his most disappointing match during his 11 years at PSG, Barcelona's remarkable 6-1 comeback against the Parisians in 2017 held the dubious honour of being Verratti's worst memory.

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Marco Verratti’s agent blast PSG

Earlier, Sports Brief reported on Verratti's former agent tearing into PSG and how the French club is run in an explosive revelation.

Donato Di Campli claimed players like his former client are scared of leaving the club, calling it a 'prison' and willing to use 'blackmail'.

He stated PSG had blocked Verratti from joining Barcelona a few years ago, with the club threatening his job as the Italian's agent.