Marco Verratti has revealed that he snubbed a move to Juventus last summer in favour of joining Paris Saint-Germain.
The former Pescara starlet helped Les Parisiens to their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years last season, prompting speculation linking him with a return to his native Italy.
He told Radio Deejay: "It is true that I was very close to joining Juventus, but I wanted to play and not be a reserve.
"At that point I had decided to remain with Pescara, but then PSG came and promised me an important role with the team so I agreed to move to France."
The youngster, whose current contract with PSG runs until 2018, has made seven appearances for the club so far this season.