What Angel Di Maria's Arrival at Paris Saint-Germain Means for Lucas Moura

After a long and protracted transfer saga, Angel Di Maria, as expected, joined Paris Saint-Germain from Manchester United. There is little doubt he adds quality to Laurent Blanc’s attack, but it does throw up a huge question mark regarding Lucas Moura's future.

Because of his participation at the Copa America for Argentina, it is expected that Di Maria won’t be fit to take his place in the PSG squad for the next few weeks.

"I am very happy to be here at PSG," Di Maria said at his unveiling, per Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC. "It is a great honour to come to Paris. This club has been trying to sign me for many years. It is a very important club with big stars. It is very important to win the Champions League. It is still one of my objectives. PSG have a very important project."

The midfielder will be paraded before the team's opening home game against Gazelec Ajaccio on Sunday, but fans may have to wait until the home match against Bordeaux on September 12 before they get their first glimpse of him in the team.

That gives Lucas a further three league games to state his case to Blanc, and he got off to the perfect start on Friday, scoring the winning goal against Lille to seal a 1-0 victory. OptaJean noted the win's significance:

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5 - The Ligue 1 title holder has failed to win on the opening day in each of the last five seasons. Blocked.

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) August 7, 2015"

For the past five seasons, the Ligue 1 champions had failed to win the league curtain-raiser, and after Adrien Rabiot saw red after just 28 minutes, it was clear the Parisiens were in for a tough test.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Together with Serge Aurier down the right flank, Lucas was excellent, and it was his direct style and quickness that burst through the Lille back four, latching onto Blaise Matuidi’s superb through ball to round Vincent Enyeama before finishing calmly.

Without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Blanc’s front three almost picked itself. Lucas and Javier Pastore flanked Edinson Cavani, and the movement and flexibility asked constant questions of Herve Renard’s back four.

Adding both Di Maria and the Swedish forward to the starting XI will almost inevitably mean the Brazilian winger will move back to the bench, but he has a number of games to show this is the season he will push on and fulfil the undoubted potential he has shown in glimpses.

When Blanc has everyone available, it would be unthinkable to suggest a forward line of Ibrahimovic, Cavani and Di Maria won’t be first choice. With the Champions League to come and two domestic cups to defend, as well as the league, there will be opportunities to rotate and try different combinations, but players want to play in the biggest games, and Lucas will be determined to make his mark in the Champions League.

"Everyone knows Angel, his talent," declared PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi at Di Maria's unveiling, per Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC.

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A lot of big clubs were interested in him, thank you to him for choosing PSG. It is an honour for the club. We are getting closer to our dream, our ambition, the Champions League. Angel has already won it with Real Madrid and I hope that he will win it with us. I wish him good luck and ourselves as well.

"

After spending two summer transfer windows chasing Di Maria, it is unlikely that Blanc won’t feel some level of pressure to play his new Argentinian signing in PSG’s most important games, but good form has to be rewarded—Lucas has to force his coach into a decision.

The Brazilian has to put his past troubles behind him and do his talking on the pitch.

Last season, the former Sao Paulo winger scored six goals before the winter break, including a stunning individual effort in a 2-0 away win against Caen. However, it was after the return fixture that his campaign hit a stumbling block.

Injured at the Parc des Princes, Lucas would miss seven straight league games and the Champions League win over Chelsea. Despite making his return in April, he would only start two of PSG's last six matches as Pastore and Cavani hit top form.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Although he is still only 22, there is a feeling that this has to be his season. He arrived in the French capital in January 2013 and is entering his fourth campaign with Les Parisiens. Ten assists and five goals in his first full year offered promise, but seven goals and just five assists, as PSG won the 2013/14 title, shows he still has work to do.

Just after making his debut in 2013, his second home game against Lille was when you saw just what he was capable of. Dancing and weaving beyond two or three players in one move, the away side had no idea how to stop him.

A blessing at first, now the glimpses of genius mixed with mazy, unstoppable runs are more becoming an example of what he could achieve if he ever fulfils his potential. Perfectly demonstrated by his incredible run against Marseille in 2014.

Picking the ball up in his own half, Lucas showed awareness to turn away from his man and his unmatchable pace to burst away from four OM players. Bearing through on goal, the finish didn’t do the run justice, and Rod Fanni was able to clear the ball off the line.

A moment of sublime magic let down by the finish. That has been his PSG career to date. Ligue 1 commentator Robbie Thomson shared Laurent Blanc's comments regarding Lucas:

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Laurent Blanc presser: It was a great goal. That's what Lucas does well. I would like him to do it more. Perhaps that was a benchmark perf.

— Robbie Thomson (@Ronaldingo14) August 7, 2015"

After the 1-0 win against Lille on Friday, Blanc spoke in his post-game press conference about Lucas’ display on the night. He praised the goal and the qualities the Brazilian possesses to do that on a regular basis, but then suggested that it could be a "benchmark performance."

With a few games to go until Di Maria is fit enough to make his Ligue 1 bow, Blanc is right, and it has to be the spark that helps Lucas kick on this season. The 22-year-old needs to make the new signing work for his place in the team, and he can only do that by putting in positive performances whenever he is on the pitch.

Di Maria will be the favourite to start once he is up to full match fitness, but Lucas has the quality to rise to the challenge and become the world-class forward PSG are looking for.