Almost all of Italy tried to sign Marco Verratti last summer, but PSG were the ones who got the young Italian midfielder. Now, with his manager joining Real Madrid, there’s a chance the Spanish giants might attempt to bring him over as well.

Verratti was rumored to turn down any offers up until two weeks ago, but now that Ancelotti has gone to Real Madrid, things might change. The 20 year old Italian played 27 times for the French champions last season in the middle of the pitch, and Ancelotti is seeing him as the perfect replacement for Xabi Alonso in the very near future.

Maybe even right away – Alonso is still injured, but there are those who think that he isn’t too keen on carrying on with Real Madrid, and offering some sort of exchange involving the two players might be a way to get Paris Saint-Germain to agree to the deal. Verratti cost PSG €12 million last season, and he won’t be going for anything less than €18 million, so an Alonso offer on the table might sweeten the deal.

Verratti wasn’t Real Madrid’s first choice this summer, with some fearing his small stature (1.65 m) being a problem he won’t be able to overcome, although he had no problem appearing in the Champions League nine times with the team last season, playing well most of the time.

Paulinho (going to Tottenham), Geoffrey Kondogbia (France giving them a hard time) and Thiago Alcantara are all players Real Madrid would have love to sign before Verratti, but it’s not very likely they’ll be able to land them this summer. With Luka Modric, Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso not being enough, not to mention one of them possibly being sold, Real Madrid, among their many needs, including big-name players to keep the Galacticos tradition going, are looking for a central midfielder who won’t have a hard time adjusting to life in Spain.

Verratti is one of those players that it’s sometimes hard evaluating and appreciating his work, but his presence in the middle of the pitch was vital for PSG and for the Italian U-21 team this summer in a mostly successful tournament. While it might take him a bit of time getting used to life with the most ambitious club in Europe, having Ancelotti there to guide him might be the trigger to convince him to accept a deal after his club does.

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