Ex-Juventus man Claudio Marchisio claims football is too suffocating in Italy. “Gianluigi Buffon told me he would’ve gone abroad a few years earlier…”

Marchisio had been a one-club man with Juventus, barring a loan spell at Empoli, prior to his free transfer to Zenit St Petersburg last year, while Buffon joined Paris Saint-Germain after 17 seasons of service to the Old Lady.

“Buffon was right,” the midfielder told Corriere della Sera.

Gianluigi Buffon is reportedly close to a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain, which could take the goalkeeper through to 2021.

According to ESPN, PSG are ready to take up their option to extend Buffon’s contract for an extra season.

However, the broadcaster adds the French giants plan to include an option of a further extension, potentially keeping him at the club until he is 43 years old.

Furthermore, the agreement would see his salary increased and be ‘loaded with significant bonuses’.

Napoli and Italy starlet Alex Meret has expressed his gratitude for Gianluigi Buffon’s praise. “If I became a goalkeeper, I owe it to him.”

Buffon previously said it was ‘exciting’ to watch Meret work, and the former Udinese shot-stopper is ready to repay the Italy icon by ‘emulating’ him.

“It’s a great source of satisfaction,” he said at a Press conference for Italy Under-21s’ upcoming games against Austria and Croatia.

Gianluigi Buffon’s agent claims the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper was unlucky against Manchester United as ‘everything went wrong’ last night.

Buffon gifted Romelu Lukaku a tap-in during PSG’s 3-1 defeat to United on Wednesday, which saw the French giants crash out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage for the third successive season.

“I’m in Milan right now so I don’t know the reasons that led to this disappointment, but football is like that sometimes,” Silvano Martina told Calciomercato.com.

Gianluigi Buffon’s Champions League nightmare continues, as Paris Saint-Germain were knocked out by a last-gasp Manchester United penalty.

PSG had a 2-0 first leg lead at Old Trafford, but become the first team ever to overturn that result in the Champions League.

Romelu Lukaku pounced on a terrible back-pass to put United ahead within two minutes, then Juan Bernat equalised straight away.

Gianluigi Buffon starts against Manchester United and it’s reported Paris Saint-Germain are offering a new two-year contract.

The goalkeeper just turned 41 in January, but is still going strong and is playing in tonight’s Champions League Round of 16 against Manchester United.

According to Sky Sport Italia, PSG have been so impressed with his performances that they are on the verge of agreeing a new extended contract.

It’d run for another year with option for one more, meaning Buffon could theoretically play until he is 43 years old.

Gianluigi Buffon has revealed how Manchester United used to ‘always send scouts to watch me’ and he rejected a ‘very big offer’ from Manchester City.

Paris Saint-Germain face United in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, with Buffon’s side 2-0 up from the opening match at Old Trafford.

“When I was a boy playing for Parma, [Sir Alex] Ferguson tracked me closely for two or three years, and he’d always send scouts to watch me,” the former Juventus and Italy goalkeeper told BT Sport.

Gianluigi Buffon said Paris Saint-Germain “made it seem easy” after beating Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford and thought back to his other experiences here.

The shot-stopper kept a clean sheet in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, with a victory secured by Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe despite missing the likes of Neymar and Edinson Cavani.

Gianluigi Buffon and Marco Verratti start for PSG against Manchester United, as the goalkeeper becomes the fourth 41-year-old in a Champions League game.

The Round of 16 kicks off at Old Trafford at 20.00 GMT.

There had been concerns over Verratti’s fitness following a long lay-off with repeated injuries, but he made his comeback last week and is placed in the starting XI tonight.

Buffon is chosen rather than Alphonse Areola and becomes the fourth player aged 41 and over to feature in a Champions League match – the second Italian.