Pep Guardiola Reacts to Angel Di Maria, Bastian Schweinsteiger Transfer Rumours

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola played it coy when asked about the possible acquisition of Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria. The Spanish boss has also said that if midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger wishes to leave, he should make it known.

Sky Sports' Nick Wright recently reported that Di Maria is Bayern's "No. 1 target," although United don't plan to offload the player who set them back £59.7 million last summer.

Guardiola has suggested he would never pay that much to sign the Argentinian, as Sport Bild reporter Christian Falk tweeted:

Bundesliga pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft provided further comment from the boss:

Di Maria is also said to be a key target for Paris Saint-Germain, who will be a force in the transfer window after UEFA eased its financial fair play regulations, per L'Equipe and Le Parisien, via B/R UK's Jonathan Johnson:

Bayern completed the signing of Brazilian attacking midfielder Douglas Costa on Wednesday, the club's Twitter feed confirmed:

He's a player who could fill a similar role to Di Maria, either out wide or through the middle. However, Franck Ribery's ongoing injury problems—which saw him start just nine matches in the Bundesliga last season, per WhoScored.com—could force Guardiola into landing further attacking talent across the summer.

Di Maria started brightly at United before losing his consistency and failing to hold down a first-team place. United boss Louis van Gaal struggled to find the best position for him, deploying the former Real Madrid star on the flank, in central midfield and behind the striker. Di Maria is a player who needs stability to fulfill his potential.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

He could soon be a team-mate of Schweinsteiger, who continues to be linked with an Old Trafford switch. However, the 30-year-old recently suggested attempting to win a fourth consecutive German title—something that has never been done—is his "motivation," James Cambridge of the Express reported.

Guardiola suggests the player can dictate his future, per Falk:

Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer recently admitted "nothing is excluded" with the World Cup winner's future in mind, per Cambridge. Schweinsteiger will soon meet with club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to discuss his future, according to ARD (h/t Sky Sports). 

Schweinsteiger suffered fitness problems last season and managed to start only 15 Bundesliga matches. His quality on the ball and willingness to win possession back would stand United in good stead, particularly when the Red Devils are without metronome Michael Carrick.

His departure could force Bayern into signing new stars, something centre-back Jerome Boateng recently discussed with B/R UK:

It's interesting to see Guardiola fail to commit to the Di Maria or Schweinsteiger stories. He may be leaving his options open. Dropping a huge sum on Di Maria would be a risk at this point, while it may be time to cash in on Schweinsteiger if the club is looking to raise a reasonable fee.

Former Bayern boss Van Gaal needs to nurture his best players at United while signing a considerable dose of world-class talent. Bayern's turnover of players is likely to be less dramatic and will be tailored toward Guardiola's men challenging for next season's Champions League.