Barcelona target Marco Verratti linked with Manchester United after hiring super agent Mino Raiola

PSG midfielder Marco Verratti has announced that he has split with his representative and hired the so-called "super agent" Mino Raiola in his place.

The 24-year-old is thought to be keen on a move to Barcelona where he is seen as a natural heir to the ageing Andres Iniesta but no deal has yet materialised.

The Italian's former agent Donato Di Campli accused PSG of holding his client as a "prisoner" last month, comments for which Verratti had to apologise.

Verratti did not cite that episode in his announcement but reports in the Italian press suggest it will have played some part in the midfielder's decision-making process.

"I hereby announce that, as of this moment, the only person who is authorised to represent me in all matters related to sport is Mr Mino Raiola," Verratti wrote on Instagram this week.

"I thank Mr Di Campli for the excellent job done so far and I take the chance to confirm my deep and unchanged faith in his abilities."

While Verratti did not explicitly mention a desire to leave the French capital, the appointment of a man renowned in world football for spinning the transfer merry-go-round has sparked rumours he could soon be on his way.

Raiola orchestrated the big money moves of Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United and the Old Trafford club are now said to be one of the front-runners for Verratti's signature.

Nevertheless, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu holds Verratti in high regard and claimed last month that the feeling is mutual.

"Verratti is a player we like," Bartomeu told Catalan paper Sport.

"[Technical director] Robert [Fernandez] wants him to come, as do [manager Ernesto] Valverde and [general manager Pep] Segura. And we know that the player wants to come to Barca.

"The problem is that PSG have now told us they don’t want to negotiate. The fact there is no release clause is a problem because you can’t go there and sign a player.

"For that reason, if the club don’t want to sell, as is the case here: ‘we don’t want to sell, we don’t want to sit down with you, we will talk about whatever you want, but not about Verratti."