Marco Verratti Defends Decision to Stay at PSG & Insists it Is NOT About the Money

Marco Verratti has insisted that he did not opt to stay at Paris Saint-Germain for money, having been heavily linked with an exit during the summer. The Italian

Marco Verratti has insisted that he did not opt to stay at Paris Saint-Germain for money, having been heavily linked with an exit during the summer.

The Italian midfielder was believed to have been unhappy with life at the club last season and there was speculation over a potential move to Barcelona.

But he has revealed that "the project" at PSG is what motivated him to remain with the big-spending Ligue 1 side.

FRANCK FIFE/GettyImages

"I will be sincere. For the first time in five years I asked myself if I should continue here, but they calmed me down over the project and our ambitions," Verratti told L'Equipe, via Sport. "There were clubs willing to pay €100m for me.

"People think that I play for PSG for money but it's not like that. If I had gone this summer there were clubs who would have paid €100m and I would have gained a lot more money. Neymar didn't sign here for money, but for the project. My case is the same."

SYLVAIN THOMAS/GettyImages

Verratti also suggested that the actions of his agent, Donato Di Campli, did not help matters, and he has since replaced him with Mino Raiola.

"Many things happened which I did not like, among them the way people by my side acted. They thought of themselves and not me. I never told PSG I wanted to leave.

“The only thing I did was explain to them some things I didn’t understand. We went through some complicated times last season. We didn’t live up to ourselves as a team that wants to win everything. We were asked to win everything and there were others a lot stronger than us.”