Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has reportedly moved closer to joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.
Verratti looks set to be the next big name to make a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, following the likes of Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Roberto Firmino.
His PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe is unlikely to join him in the Gulf state though, after refusing to speak to Al-Hilal representatives after PSG accepted a world-record fee for the attacker.
The Italian midfielder played 30 minutes against fellow Saudi club Al Nassr in a friendly in Osaka on Tuesday - his first bit of game time this pre-season.
Now, Fabrizio Romano claims that a deal is in an advanced stage, with an agreement between the two clubs all that is left to iron out.
The club are believed to have offered Verratti a three-year deal, and are closing in on agreeing terms with PSG.
Despite battling injury concerns for much of his career, Verratti has always remained a regular for PSG in his 11 years at the club.
Verratti is something of an outlier in Italian football history, having had a glittering career at international level despite never playing a minute of Serie A football.
A breakout season at Pescara in Serie B during the 2011-12 season saw PSG swoop in ahead of Italy's biggest clubs to sign the combative midfielder.
Verratti's move away from Italy has not affected his international career though, as the 30-year-old has made 55 caps for the Azzurri.
Along with Nicolo Barella and Jorginho, Verratti was a central figure in the Italian midfield which won Euro 2020, playing in five of their seven games, assisting three goals.
However, a move away from one of Europe's top five leagues may impact his future selection under Roberto Mancini.
Federico Bernadeschi and Lorenzo Insigne have both lost their places in the Azzurri squad since moving to Toronto FC in MLS.
Former internationals Stephan El Shaarawy, Eder and Graziano Pelle also suffered the same fate when they opted to move to the Chinese Super League a few years ago.
Should Verratti complete a move, he would become the first member of the current Italian squad to jump at the opportunity to move to Saudi Arabia.
Andrew Delaney
