Manchester United Transfer News: Assessing 4 PSG Aces Touted for Angel Di Maria

Paris Saint-Germain are ready to offer Manchester United their pick of one of four star players to secure the services of winger Angel Di Maria, according to reports from France.

Le10 Sport (h/t Daily Express' Ben Jefferson) reports that Les Parisiens have taken note of Manchester United's interest in Blaise Matuidi, Adrien Rabiot, Marquinhos and Gregory van der Wiel and that any one of the four could be used to facilitate a move in the summer of 2015:

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[...] Reports in France this morning claim that PSG aren't out of the race to land the player, after coveting him before he joined United.

Financial Fair Play restrictions scuppered a move to the Parc des Princes at that time but the Ligue 1 outfit believe they may have found a way around that problem.

According to Le10Sport, PSG are aware of United's interest in Blaise Matuidi, Gregory van der Wiel, Adrien Rabiot and Marquinhos.

And it is claimed the Qatari-backed club are ready to offer United their pick of that quartet to land Di Maria, should he come onto the market at season's end.

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Di Maria has struggled in his first season with the Red Devils after completing a move from Real Madrid, and while neither he nor the club have yet commented on a potential split at the end of the season, there are plenty of pundits who believe the Argentina international needs a fresh start.

The Daily Mirror's Nooruddean Choudry sees a player who is no longer himself, with the low point coming during Monday's 2-1 loss against Arsenal:

Should the 27-year-old decide to leave the club at the end of the season, the idea of moving him to PSG in exchange for cash and a player is enticing. The French champions have to take financial fair play into account—United could come away with an excellent deal.

Here's a quick look at the players reportedly on offer:

Gregory van der Wiel

Michel Euler/Associated Press

The 27-year-old Netherlands international has been something of a flop since moving to Paris from Ajax, and Louis van Gaal's reported interest is likely a result of the fact they're compatriots not the full-back's talent level. Per Goal's Robin Bairner, Van der Wiel is openly wondering whether he still has a future at the club:

Van der Wiel hardly comes across as the type of star player Van Gaal needs manning the right wing, and his current value is too low for him to be involved in a potential swap for Di Maria.

Adrien Rabiot

Jacques Brinon/Associated Press

Fans are probably familiar with the 19-year-old Rabiot by now. The teenager dominated headlines in Paris throughout 2014 with his contract dispute, transfer demands and the influence of his mother, who acts as his agent, via Goal's Bairner.

He has since signed a new deal but still finds his name frequently mentioned in transfer talks, and with consistent minutes hard to come by, it's easy to see why. As shared by the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst, his cameo appearance against Chelsea on Wednesday highlighted his fantastic potential:

Rabiot is a supremely gifted youngster with bags of potential—but he also carries a ton of baggage. His main issue with PSG is playing time, something that may not be any easier to find in Manchester.

Marquinhos and Blaise Matuidi

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

The two players Van Gaal would likely be most keen on are Marquinhos and Matuidi, who are both full-time contributors for Laurent Blanc's squad. Marquinhos is one of the most highly rated young defenders in the world; Matuidi is the perfect example of the modern midfielder.

The France international is often overlooked because of the play of Marco Verratti, but his tremendous work rate and versatility make him an interesting option for Van Gaal's squad. BBC World Service's Salim Masoud Said is a big fan:

Marquinhos spends most of his time out on the right flank for the French champions, but he's a natural fit for the centre-back position, where he rose to prominence with AS Roma.

Of the four, Marquinhos probably would make most sense for United. He's young, talented and fits a need at the centre-back position, and like Matuidi, he's a player PSG would not part with unless Di Maria would move the other way.

However, all of this is contingent on Van Gaal actually entertaining the idea of moving on from Di Maria. And as reported by Bleacher Report's Alex Dimond, the Argentinian likely won't be leaving any time soon:

Di Maria is a world-class forward struggling in his first season playing in a new league. It happens, and it's hard to imagine the club giving up on him after just one campaign.

Swapping him for Marquinhos would be tempting, but at the end of the day, there are only so many world-class wingers around. As fun as it is to speculate on which player you would rather have, expect Di Maria to stay right where he is during the summer. 

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