Marco Verratti leaves Paris Saint-Germain to join Al-Arabi in Qatar Stars League

By JEROME PUGMIRE The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Marco Verratti has left Paris Saint-Germain after 11 years at the club to join Al-Arabi in the Qatar Stars League. Al-Arabi says the 30-year-old Italy midfielder signed a three-year contract. Financial terms were not released but French media estimated the transfer fee to be 45 million euros. Verratti had joined PSG from Italian club Pescara in 2012 and had three years left on his contract. He was one of the first notable signings made by PSG’s ambitious Qatari-based owners after they took over in June 2011. Luis Enrique has re-shaped PSG since taking charge this season and had made it clear that Neymar and Verratti were not in his plans. Neymar recently joined Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.