PSG set to make £47m offer for Manchester United winger Di Maria
According to The Guardian, Paris Saint-Germain have renewed their pursuit of Angel Di Maria, after losing out on the winger last season when he switched from Real Madrid to Manchester United. The French outfit is willing to offer £47m for the Argentine winger and will soon place a formal transfer request for the player.
Since his arrival to Manchester, Di Maria has been far from his best and has been unable to replicate his Bernabeu form at Old Trafford. United had to pay Real Madrid a reported sum of £59.7million, making him the most expensive player in English Football.
Di Maria did make his presence felt on English soil, by scoring a sumptuous goal against Leicester City in September, which was voted as Premier League’s Goal of the season, but soon slumped into a run of below-par performances forcing Louis Van Gaal to bench him towards the end of the season. The Argentine winger scored 3 goals in 27 matches for the Red Devils.
Blanc confirms PSG interest in Di Maria
Laurent Blanc, Paris Saint-Germain’s manager told the French newspaper L'Equipe that there is a definite interest in the player, now with the FFP restrictions lifted the French side is determined to land the talented winger in Paris.
“Yes. We have our priorities..But to strengthen such a team you must target guys who are at big clubs and who are not easy to prise away. That’s hardest for PSG. Di Maria, he’s good. We have more freedom, but it remains a difficult project for us because we’re not alone in wanting him” he told L'Equipe
“When you see the financial power of the English clubs, they are attacking everyone. Competition is very, very tough. Don’t forget, Manchester United paid a fortune to sign him.
“For us to work effectively, we have to think of other solutions. We must be proactive.” he added.
Cavani may be the pawn for Di Maria’s transfer bid
With the departure of Robin van Persie to Fenerbahce, Louis Van Gaal will look to fill the void left by the Dutchman. Edison Cavani seems to be high on the manager’s wishlist, The Guardian reports. The deal involving Di Maria may include the Uruguayan in the mix, with the possibility of him moving to Manchester if the deal is to go through.
Following the departure of Van Persie, Rooney is the only recognisable striker in the squad. Although the youngster James Wilson has had some outings under Van Gaal last season, he may be deemed too inexperienced to feature in United’s starting XI regularly.
I will return to Manchester after Copa America: Di Maria
Earlier in the transfer window, when Di Maria was quizzed about his potential move away from Old Trafford, the player had played down the rumours by expressing his desire to stay put in England.
As quoted by ESPN-FC, the winger had said “Now I will play the Copa America and then I will move back to Manchester for next season and do my best there. It was a hard season for me. I think it was hard because it was another country and another league, and this league is harder than the Spanish one.
"I think I did a good job, though. I finished second in assists and I scored some goals, so I definitely think I did well in my first season at Manchester United”