Marco Verratti and Hugo Ekitike not included in PSG’s Champions League squad

Both have been linked with moves away from the capital this summer.

PSG announced their squad for the upcoming Champions League on 6th September and the two prominent names missing from the roster are of Hugo Ekitike (21) and Marco Verratti (30). Both the players were linked with moves away from the French capital this season.

Hugo Ekitike was supposed to land up at Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt as PSG were keen on acquiring Randal Kolo Muani from the German side as a part of a player swap. However, when all look to be set, Ekitike reportedly pulled the plug on the swap and put PSG’s hopes to acquire Kolo Muani on a ventilator, leaving PSG’s management furious at the 21-year-old as he had already been informed that his services are deemed to be extra and unnecessary at the club.

In the end, PSG did manage to acquire Kolo Muani, albeit for a much higher fee and after the Frenchman had to resort to a strike at Frankfurt to force the move.

Marco Verratti’s omission on the other hand has not been received with surprise. After 11 consecutive seasons with the club, the Italian veteran was informed that his services are no longer needed by the club and that he will be let go this summer as part of manger Luis Enrique’s plans to take PSG in a “new direction”, the decision to let him go was part of many other axing’s undertaken by Luis Enrique as part of his plans to take the club in a new direction.

Verratti was linked with a move to Qatari side Al-Arabi in the recently concluded transfer window, with reports suggesting that terms were agreed between the two teams and the player. However, the transfer is yet to materialise. The transfer may still happen as there is still time before the transfer window closes on 18th September.