Has Angel Di Maria Actually Justified His Huge Transfer Fee?

Angel Di Maria arrived in a blaze of excitement and soon set about demonstrating why his acquisition had so electrified Manchester United fans.

From his debut against Burnley, when he was the best of a bad bunch for United, to his fantastic performances against Queens Park Rangers and for the first half against Leicester City, Di Maria looked every inch a signing who would transform United’s fortunes. 

Since then, he has remained an important part of United’s attack, with goals, assists or both against Everton, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace and Arsenal—but he has also had a couple of less effective games. Whether or not he has justified his price tag depends on how that criteria is assessed.

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There is no way, of course, that any player could completely justify a transfer fee of that size in just over three months. It is an investment designed to reap benefits over the next few seasons, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest that it will.

What fans want from a player who has cost a fortune is probably different to what clubs want. From a fan’s perspective, success on the pitch and a pleasing style of play seem paramount. From the perspective of a club which is as commercially minded as United, any investment in a player is surely part of a strategy designed to bring financial benefit in the long run. 

United’s most pressing need, both in terms of the financial imperative and in terms of attracting the kind of players who can help make a great side, is to return to the Champions League without delay. 

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The absence of Champions League football was perceived by many fans to be an impediment to signing top-level players, and the arrival of a man who had starred for his country at the World Cup and been Man of the Match in last season’s Champions League final was profoundly reassuring in terms of the club’s ambitions. 

His signing immediately began to allay fears that stagnation would follow last season’s dismal efforts and brought a feel-good factor which has lingered pretty well, in spite of United’s recent ups and downs. Signing both Di Maria and Radamel Falcao proved United were in the market for players who have been unequivocally among the world’s best in recent seasons.

Neither of them have yet transformed United into world-beaters, but it would have been unreasonable to have expected them to, given how much change there has been at the club in the recent past. 

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However, Di Maria has already made a sizable contribution to the job of getting United back into the Champions League. Other than against Leicester and QPR, all of his goals and assists have come in games where the goal was crucial to the result.

Removing goals in which he was directly involved would leave United eight points worse off. Additionally, although not credited with an assist, it was he who provided the cross from a free-kick which led to Robin van Persie’s equaliser against Chelsea, earning United another point which could yet prove crucial. 

A mark of how important he has already become to United could be felt when he pulled up injured against Hull City. There was a hush around the previously buzzing stadium as he limped onto the sidelines. As he made his way along the touchline, the Stretford End sung his name and applauded. 

His quality was evident even when injured. Using his one good leg, he put in an impressive cross.  When a player can provide moments of quality of the kind Di Maria can provide, as frequently as he does, he will command a huge transfer fee. 

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Of course he has not justified it yet, it would be completely impossible for him to have done, given how little time has passed since his arrival. But he has given ample evidence that he can do so in the future, and for now, that is most certainly good enough.