Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Angel Di Maria, David De Gea Rumours
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is unsure whether Angel Di Maria will remain at the club next season.
Speaking on the Red Devils' pre-season tour of the United States, the Dutch manager suggested Di Maria must make his own decisions amid speculation Paris Saint-Germain are interested in acquiring his services, reported by David McDonnell of the Mirror:
"We shall see, because in football it is a process," said Van Gaal. "It is not clear in one day. It is a process for Angel Di Maria. It is a process for Manchester United. But I count on him because he is a member of Manchester United and he said he shall come to join us on July 25."
B/R UK's Jonathan Johnson passed along an update on PSG's reported interest in the player:
This comes after Le Parisien (h/t Get French Football News) reported the Argentinian had inked a five-year deal with the Ligue 1 champions.
United paid a British-record transfer fee of £59.7 million for Di Maria last summer. He is unlikely to fetch this amount after a disappointing year at the club in which he still managed to contribute three goals and 10 assists in 20 Premier League starts and seven substitute appearances, per WhoScored.com. He showed his quality at the 2015 Copa America and can now build on this to improve his club form.
The Daily Star's latest report suggests Van Gaal will do everything he can to keep Di Maria at Old Trafford:
However, James Robson of the Manchester Evening News suspects otherwise:
Van Gaal has certainly left the door open by not ruling out a sale.
Despite his wandering form, Di Maria remains one of the most talented and versatile forwards in the world. He is naturally creative but has a tendency to overthink the basics when under pressure.
The 27-year-old has the quality to be key in United's quest to build on last season's fourth-place finish.
The same can be said for David De Gea, a man who will be financially rewarded by suitors Real Madrid if he sees out the final year of his United contract and heads to the Spanish capital for free next summer, reported by Marca (h/t Tom Edwards of the Telegraph).
Van Gaal remained tight-lipped over the goalkeeper's future and instead opted to praise the Spaniard's professionalism during his exchange with the press, per McDonnell:
"I cannot say anything [about De Gea's potential exit]," said Van Gaal. "His attitude is fantastic. I have said that already. Maybe you are right, but I can't tell that in this moment. Or maybe not. It is dependent on David De Gea. Shall he stay? He is training here and doing his utmost best."
B/R UK's Sam Pilger believes the club's good work to sign Memphis Depay, Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin will be undone if Van Gaal lets his two stars leave:
Both scenarios continue to rumble on without a conclusion in sight. The silence of both players is deafening right now.
While De Gea's departure has seemed inevitable for months, United supporters will be itching to see the best of Di Maria before he moves on.
The Argentinian could end speculation with a public commitment to the club, while De Gea's unwillingness to sign a new contract underlines his ultimate desire, which is undoubtedly a worrying sign for United fans.
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