Marco Verratti & Julian Draxler nearing Qatar move

Both were informed by Luis Enrique that they were deemed in excess of requirements as the Parc de Princes

Midfielders, Marco Verratti (30) and Julian Draxler (29) are about to complete transfers to Qatar and are expected to leave Paris Saint-Germain soon.

While several leagues have already closed their transfer windows, Qatar's is still open and will accept two PSG midfielders before it closes on September 18. Luis Enrique and Luis Campos notified Verratti earlier in the summer that he was no longer needed at the Parc des Princes. Moving to Qatar has always felt like the most likely choice for the Italian international when looking for a new club.

Verratti was told that his role at PSG would decrease drastically, after which he was axed from the French champion's squad for the upcoming UEFA Champions League, his axing is a part of manager Luis Enrique’s plans to steer the club into a “new direction”, in hopes of acquiring European glory.

Verratti's 11-year stint appears to be coming to an end. Verratti currently has a contract with the Qatari club after PSG and Al-Arabi reached a deal a few days ago. All that remains is him going through a medical examination and signing a contract to put the deal in stone.

Draxler also looks set for a move to the Middle East. The German midfielder, who was returning from a loan spell at Benfica, also didn’t feature in PSG’s plans. After reportedly rejecting a move to Crystal Palace, Draxler now looks set to join AL-Ahli SC, with whom a total agreement was reached just a few hours ago. 

Verratti will reportedly cost Al-Arabi €50m, while Draxler’s fee has not been revealed.