Lionel Messi 'Keen' on Angel Di Maria Joining Barcelona Amid Arda Turan Rumours

Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain star Angel Di Maria to replace Arda Turan, and Lionel Messi has given his approval for the move.

According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t ESPN FC's Michael Wade), Turan seems set to leave the Camp Nou, and should he go, Barca will target the Argentinian as his successor, with compatriot Messi "keen" on him joining.

Di Maria formerly played for bitter rivals Real Madrid before spending a year at Manchester United prior to joining PSG.

He struggled to settle in Manchester and appears to have had similar problems in Paris.

In December, RMC (h/t Get French Football News) reported via a source at the club that the playmaker was unhappy in the French capital.

ESPN FC's Jonathan Johnson posited Di Maria needs a Spanish-speaking environment to be content:

He further spoke to Canal Football Club following the arrivals of Julian Draxler and Goncalo Guedes in January amid fears he would struggle for game time:

Nevertheless, he had a productive season overall as he contributed 14 goals and 15 assists in 43 matches in all competitions, albeit his numbers were down from 15 and 25, respectively, in his first year.

While he's hardly devoid of any technical skill, Turan hasn't been a natural fit at Barca since his arrival from Atletico Madrid, where he shone as much for his physicality and work rate as he did for his ability on the ball.

Di Maria has many of the qualities needed to thrive at the Camp Nou with his superb technique and vision among his standout attributes.

He showcased his ability to carve through defences in Ligue 1 this year, per Squawka Football:

The prospect of rejoining a league in which he excelled could trump any lingering loyalty for Madrid, and he too would likely welcome the prospect of playing with Messi at club level as well as on the international stage.

However, to become a regular starter at Barcelona, he'd likely need to transition into a central role.

Di Maria ostensibly operates on the wings at PSG, but at Barca, their wide places in the front three are already occupied by Neymar and Messi.

Unless he's willing and able to do that—assuming new coach Ernesto Valverde keeps the same 4-3-3 formation—he could find himself reduced to the role of cover for their other stars.