Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping that the last week of the summer transfer window is productive as he really needs to bring in another one or two fresh faces.
There have been just three summer arrivals thus far in Manchester and if the Dutchman holds any ambition of fighting on both domestic and European fronts, depth is needed.
With this in mind, the Red Devils have shown interest in a Paris Saint-Germain midfielder recently and given how little time the manager has to work with, could he secure his services before the end of next week?
Are Manchester United going to make more signings?
Marco Verratti is a name that has cropped up recently, according to French outlet L’Equipe (as relayed by Get Football News France), with United are keen on luring him to the Premier League.
The Italy international is looking likely to leave the French capital this summer following an 11-year stint at PSG and this could tempt Ten Hag into making a swoop.
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According to FootballTransfers, Verratti is currently valued at €31.1m (£27m) and given that he has a contract until 2026, the Dutchman may have to shell out slightly more to secure his signature before deadline day.
What could Marco Verratti offer Manchester United?
Along with adding some new faces to his squad, Ten Hag has also been busy in having a clear-out.
Among his most high-profile departures are Anthony Elanga, David De Gea, Alex Telles and Fred, freeing up some room in the wage budget in the process.
Moving on the Brazilian midfielder could perhaps be the best bit of business the manager does this summer.
Although they couldn’t quite recoup the £52m they shelled out on him five years ago, it was evident that he didn’t quite have a future under the Dutchman as he failed to impose himself in the squad last term.
Fred started just 12 games in the Premier League while ranking in a lowly 18th place across the squad for overall Sofascore rating, suggesting that even when he did get a chance, he failed to impress.
United could forget all about Fred with the signing of Verratti, and he has emerged as one of the finest midfielders of his generation over the previous decade.
Indeed, throughout the previous 12 months, the 30-year-old machine ranks in the top 1% when compared to positional peers for pass completion percentage per 90 (92.5%) while also ranking in the top 6% for progressive passes (9.87) and tackles (3.2) per 90, indicating that not only would he be able to dictate the play wonderfully in Ten Hag’s side, but his tenacious nature would allow him to win the ball back often.
Mauricio Pochettino, his former coach at PSG, hailed the midfielder previously, saying:
"He is a player with a very good ability to read the game. He allows for us each time to have attacking possession and to bring the ball out into good situations, to better start off attacks. In attacking phases, he can double his efforts and provoke situations going forward. For me, he is a truly great player."
High praise indeed, so Ten Hag must act fast in order to bring him to Manchester, and it will allow him to move on from Fred in the process.
