Angel Di Maria Could Rediscover His Old Form at Paris Saint-Germain
The 110th minute of the 2014 Champions League final would prove to be a pivotal one in the recent history of Real Madrid, as well as one that underlined just what the club are all about.
After wresting the match away from city rivals Atletico in the dying moments of normal time, they were now pressing for the extra-time winner. The goal arrived when Angel Di Maria burst in from the left flank and saw his effort loop towards Gareth Bale to head in. You know that. You’ve all seen the goal by now.
What it signified was a glorious ending for Bale to his first season at the Bernabeu but also Di Maria’s place in the Madrid food chain. He was simply there to supply the superstars and never quite become one himself, despite the Argentinean’s obvious qualities.
Here was a player who was good enough to apparently walk into any team, yet he was being marginalised—financially as well as sportingly—by the names around him.
In the summer of 2014, Di Maria needed a club to trust in him and give him a stage upon which to shine. Enter Manchester United, an open chequebook and a desperation to get back into the Champions League.
Now, in the summer of 2015, he just needs somewhere to go and be himself.
The usual excuses have been rolled out for the Argentinean’s failure to settle into life as the most expensive footballer ever signed by a British club, with David Anderson in the Daily Mirror citing how he and his wife have become unsettled in Manchester and that the winger has struggled to learn English.
So far, so predictable, but Di Maria also faded badly at the tail end of the 2014/15 season.
His only club goal of this calendar year came in the inauspicious surroundings of Yeovil Town’s Huish Park back in the first week of it, and as United started to improve at the closure of Louis van Gaal’s first campaign in charge, it was noticeable that they were doing so without Di Maria to the fore.
Radamel Falcao, the other headline arrival at Old Trafford in the summer of 2014, has already been shipped out by a ruthless boss who has taken impressive steps to revamp his squad this summer. Now it would appear that Di Maria is set to follow suit as he stands on the verge of a move to Paris Saint-Germain, according the the Independent.
The strengths, weaknesses and differences between France’s Ligue 1 and the Premier League have been picked over in the past, but there is little doubt that Di Maria will have more room to flourish in the French capital.
He’ll be playing for the best team in a division that they won by eight points, nine points and 12 points in the last three seasons, and although this isn’t meant as a criticism of Ligue 1, it is clear to see Di Maria would be one of the best players within it were he to move there.
In addition, the potential move of Edinson Cavani the other way into Old Trafford—at detailed by Metro—would also free up extra space for the 27-year-old, who could flourish in a role behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic and perhaps in tandem with his Argentina team-mate Javier Pastore.
In a season in which they are desperate make a lasting impression on the Champions League, the addition of Di Maria would also help PSG in that competition—adding a little thrust to their cut and giving them a little extra guile around the penalty area.
If a deal can be done, then there is no doubt that PSG will be getting a fine player despite his struggles in Manchester, where they would be disappointed to lose such a talent but understanding given the upgrades to their squad made this summer.
There are no such things as perfect transfers, but just over a year on from that 2014 Champions League final, Di Maria might have found the best home for him right now.
And after a season of struggle for a fine player, that is a cause of celebration.
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