Marco Verratti recently denied giving an interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport in which he said he would stay at Paris Saint-Germain if the club signed some major names in the summer transfer window.

It was further indication that the Italian midfielder is eyeing a move from the Parc des Princes, with Barcelona heavily linked with his signature.

Verratti’s agent, Donato Di Campli, has told PSG’s Sporting Director Antero Henrique that the 24-year-old needs to be part of a “winning project”, according to Sport, who also claim that Verratti took a break from his holiday to demand his exit.

Andres Iniesta is 33-years-old now, so it makes sense that Barcelona are eyeing his eventual replacement.

And, as Barcelona attempt to recover from last season’s disappointments, that starts with signing Verratti.

July 4 is crucial in Barca's pursuit of Verratti

July 4 - next Tuesday - will be a crucial date in Barca’s pursuit of the PSG star. It’s the date the Parisiens report for pre-season training and the Blaugrana are waiting to see if Verratti returns or stays absent from the club’s facilities, according to Sport.

If Verratti stays away then Barca will launch a £71 million bid to sign him. If he returns to training, however, it’s reported that Barcelona will lose hope of signing him.

Verratti could do a Mascherano

Barcelona will hope that Verratti does something similar to Javier Mascherano did in 2010. The Argentinian refused to play for Liverpool in a successful attempt at forcing a move to the Camp Nou.

Signings are coming at Camp Nou

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu refused to comment on the move for Verratti, although he insisted that Ernesto Valverde’s squad will be strong enough to compete for trophies next season.

"Verratti is a PSG player and has a contract with that club," Bartomeu told beIN Sports, per Marca. "I only trust the work that [sporting director] Robert [Fernandez] does but without discussing names.

"They know what is more convenient for us, what we need for next season and they are working hard on this.

“The Barca fans can be calm because next season we will have a very competitive squad, that will fight from the first day for all possible titles."

Which three players should Barcelona sign in the transfer window? Let us know in the comments section below!