PSG blocking Verratti pursuit, says Barcelona president

Barcelona isn't hiding the fact that Marco Verratti is one of the club's top priorities this summer.

Yet, Barcelona's pursuit has been futile, as Paris Saint-Germain refuses to discuss a deal for Verratti, according to the Spanish side's president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Barcelona was reportedly planning on launching a bid worth €80 million, but PSG has declared it has no interest in parting ways with the Italian despite his alleged preference to move to the Camp Nou ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

"Verratti is a player we like," Bartomeu said to Diario Sport, as translated by ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden. "(Sporting director) Robert (Fernandez) wants him to come, as do (first-team coach Ernesto) Valverde and (general manager Pep) Segura. And we know that the player wants to come to Barca.

"The problem is that PSG have now told us they do not want to negotiate. The fact there is no release clause is a problem because you cannot go there and sign a player.

"For that reason, if the club do not want to sell, as is the case here, (what can you do): 'We do not want to sell, we do not want to sit down with you, we will talk about whatever you want, but not about Verratti.'"

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Verratti's agent Donato Di Campli responded to criticism he and his client have received since word got out that the midfielder may be interested in joining Barca. He added that while Verratti, whose contract runs until 2021, is intrigued by a transfer to Barcelona, the French club's wealthy owners are unfazed by his eagerness to leave, as well as Blaugrana's lucrative bid.

"Marco knows perfectly what his contractual obligations to PSG are, but it is natural that he is attracted by the prospect of playing for Barcelona. Who wouldn't be at the age of 24 in the season which runs up to the World Cup?

"The second point is: do PSG really want to build a squad that can finally be competitive in Europe and are not only settling for winning Ligue 1 or the Coupe de France? There has been a lot of talk of (Kylian) Mbappe and a stratospheric offer of €150 million to Monaco, but up to now not one new player worthy of the Champions League has arrived in Paris.

"Then there is the fourth point, which is the most important. It's about Doha, where the sovereign of Qatar is based and he, among many other things, owns PSG. The fund is led by Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, whose financial resources are unlimited. Not selling Verratti to Barcelona for €100 million has become a matter of pride."

Di Campli continued by revealing that PSG chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi told him associates in Doha, Qatar would be unforgiving if Verratti was sold and that the situation was comparable to removing a club legend such as Francesco Totti from Roma.