Pescara Chief Executive Danilo Iannascoli has admitted they were on the verge of doing a deal with Napoli over Marco Verratti.
Pescara Chief Executive Danilo Iannascoli has admitted they were on the verge of doing a deal with Napoli over Marco Verratti.
The midfielder was eventually sold to Paris Saint-Germain for €12m last summer, but only after interest from the Azzurri and Juventus.
“We were going to sell him to Napoli, but his agent was against it because he wanted to take him to Juventus,” Iannascoli told Radio Kiss Kiss.
“Had he gone to Naples then there was the opportunity to keep him with us on loan, as well as keeping Lorenzo Insigne too and perhaps even getting Mario Santana.
“Unfortunately, the power of clubs diminishes in front of players and their agents.”
Verratti and Insigne helped Pescara to Serie A promotion in 2011-12 before the latter returned to parent club Napoli. The San Paolo outfit later sold Santana to Torino.