It’s hard to believe Marco Verratti is still just 23 years old. It’s also hard to believe he’s still yet to truly break out.
With the memories of the pint-sized midfielder’s stellar 2014 World Cup still fresh in the memory, Verratti’s two club seasons since have been nothing but underwhelming.
With just a pair of goals plus more yellow cards than assists in the 2014/15 season following Rio, last season was even more of a disaster as a host of injuries struck.
But with the promise of talent still very much there, Verratti has signed a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain amid interest from both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. The Italian is now under team control through 2021.
🎥 : @MarcoVerratti1on his new PSG deal, his hopes for the season, the Trophée des Champions https://t.co/7ytHhnylkh pic.twitter.com/sCKYCsPSNA
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 5, 2016
“I accepted the offer immediately because I want to keep winning with this club,” Verratti told the PSG official website. “We have already won a lot in France and I want to keep on winning and now we also hope to win in Europe because that’s our aim, the club’s aim.”
Verratti has returned to training a few weeks ago following a groin injury that forced him to miss the Euros, but he still has not appeared in preseason under new coach Unai Emery. He will be available for the Trophée des Champions against Lyon on Saturday.
