Chelsea failed with loan bid for Italian star

Chelsea failed with a loan bid to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti before the transfer deadline, according to L'Equipe.

The Italian was heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia earlier this summer, but the clubs failed to meet PSG's asking price.

As a result, Verratti had to play the waiting game and it is now claimed that Chelsea and Bayern were keen on landing him on loan.

Les Parisiens turned down proposals from both European clubs, and Verratti is now on the verge of joining Qatari giants Al Arabi.

Al Arabi have agreed to pay €45m for the former Pescara man, and he is set to undergo a medical with the club in the next 24 hours.

Verratti was recently excluded from Italy's squad for the European qualifiers and he may have played his final international game.

With the move to Qatar, his chances of selection are likely to be affected. He is already out-of-favour under new boss Luciano Spalletti.