Angel Di Maria Taking Step Up from Manchester United at PSG, Says Thiago Silva

There are few teams in world football that command a gravitas that compares with Manchester United. But according to Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva, the French champions are one of them, with the Brazilian insisting Angel Di Maria is making a step up as his move from the Red Devils to the Ligue 1 side edges closer.

Silva claimed that aside from Real Madrid and Barcelona, there’s no team bigger than the Parisians, per the Daily Mirror:

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I think that people now need to respect PSG as a club, and our position as one of the big clubs in Europe. Real Madrid and Barcelona are probably on another level, but after that if you are joining PSG it means you are probably taking a step up.

We went further than any English clubs in Europe last year - even beating the English champions.

Every season we keep our best players despite much interest, and always add the best players in Europe. How many clubs can say that? The vision our owners have for this club is very clear, and that is for PSG to be the best.

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As we can see here courtesy of ESPN FC, Di Maria was in Qatar on Monday completing a medical ahead of his move to the French capital:

Although United supporters will naturally disagree with Silva’s assessment, the imminent acquisition of Di Maria is another indication of PSG’s pulling power. Although the Argentina international endured a torrid time at Old Trafford last season, he’s a world-class operator and a player who will enrich Laurent Blanc’s side tremendously.

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There are plenty who are questioning Di Maria’s lack of fight for giving up on English football so quickly, but as football writer Henry Winter notes, there have been some mitigating circumstances for the player:

Ultimately, the deal makes sense for both sides and shouldn’t be used as a deciding factor in which club is currently in the best position.

But Silva certainly raises an intriguing point. After all, United have fallen on hard times since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, and although manager Louis van Gaal has spent lavishly during his time at the helm, the team still looks short of challenging for both Premier League and Champions League glory.

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At least PSG are winning things on home soil. The club have dominated the domestic scene since being bought and subsequently bankrolled by Qatar Sports Investments, but as of yet they’ve yet to make a telling impression in the Champions League.

Although they have some of the finest players in world football in Silva, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and, soon, Di Maria, until they win the ultimate prize, can the club be considered on par with United et al? When you consider the rich history of the Red Devils and the major honours the club have won, not quite yet.

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With United back in the Champions League in 2015-16, it'll be intriguing to see which side goes further. The club’s official Twitter account teased a tantalising prospect after the two sides met in a pre-season game this summer:

At the moment, PSG are better equipped to challenge the top sides on the continent. Blanc has a settled spine, an ideal mix of youth and experience and, in Di Maria, a player who will provide an effervescent edge that has been missing in recent seasons. Expect them to go all out for the Champions League title this term.

United are still a hugely attractive proposition, though. Despite not being at the peak of the English game, the club have still been able to attract names like Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Bastian Schweinsteiger in recent seasons. Evidently, the allure of the Red Devils stood up despite a lack of on-pitch success; it's unlikely we could say the same for the French champions.