Marco Verratti arrives in Qatar pending official transfer announcement

In just a matter of hours, the official departure of Marco Verratti from PSG will become a reality. The 30-year-old Italian midfielder arrived in Qatar last night, where he is poised to ink a deal with Al-Arabi and where he will reportedly undergo medical tests in the next few hours.

After an 11-year tenure at PSG, Marco Verratti will bid farewell to the capital club this week and put an end to his story in the French capital on a sour note.

Having fallen out of favor with Luis Enrique and not factored into the new head coach's plans for the season, the Italian international needed to find a new path to keep playing this season ahead of Euro 2024.

While he initially had hopes of remaining in Europe, with interest from clubs like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Chelsea, Verratti ultimately chose Qatar as his destination so he could fill his deep bag, committing to sign with Al-Arabi.

An agreement for Verratti's transfer had been in place between PSG and the Qatari club for the past ten days, awaiting the midfielder's agreement on personal terms. This step was successfully completed over the weekend, as Verratti just decided money trumped everything.

The now-former PSG no. 6 arrived in Doha on Monday evening, a moment captured in a photograph shared by transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano on his personal social account.

Verratti is set to undergo his medical examination on Tuesday before officially signing as a member of Al-Arabi. Although the contract's terms remain undisclosed, it is expected to span two to three years.

At the Doha Airport, Marco Verratti spoke with Alkass TV Sports and expressed his excitement about joining Al-Arabi: "I am very happy. I can't wait to start this season. I hope we will have a great season. We're going to have a lot of desire."

Added Verratti: "I can't wait to discover everything--the stadium, the supporters, the club, the teammates, the coach."

"We look forward," he finished.