Manchester United Transfer News: Angel Di Maria Revelation, Goncalo Guedes Eyed

Former Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria has revealed that it took just one phone call from Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc to persuade him to leave Old Trafford.

The Argentine endured an unsuccessful debut season with United in 2014-15 following his £59.7 million move from Real Madrid, and he switched to PSG in the summer for £44 million.

He has now lifted the lid on what it was that made him call time on his United career after just one season, with Blanc credited as highly influential by Di Maria, per Sean Kearns in Metro:

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The first time we spoke, it was before I signed for PSG. This made me very happy. It happened the same way when Jose Mourinho made me come to Real Madrid. They called me before I spoke with them. Blanc called me when he was in the United States and I was still on holiday.

He said he was very happy to recruit me, that he had wanted me for several seasons. Obviously, this gave me an added incentive to sign for PSG.

"

Di Maria, 27, has returned to his excellent best since moving to PSG and has netted four goals and provided nine assists in Ligue 1 this season, per WhoScored.com.

United must be ruing the fact that Di Maria could not produce such performances when at United, as the Red Devils could do with a player of his creativity and skill at the moment.

Though the Manchester outfit remain in the Premier League's top four—and are likely to stay there until the end of the season, per Bleacher Report's Dean Jones—they have looked devoid of attacking verve of late and have not won any of their last five matches:

Di Maria is the type of attacking star who could, on top form, make a genuine difference at United, but he simply did not seem to settle in the Premier League and was also burdened by off-field problems in Manchester.

In the search for greater flair at the club, United are reportedly eyeing Benfica winger Goncalo Guedes.

Gualter Fatia/Getty Images

According to German outlet Bild (via Metro's Tom Olver), the Red Devils have scouted the 19-year-old often this season and are lining up a move for the Portuguese youngster.

The report adds that Chelsea, Arsenal and Bayern Munich are also keeping tabs on him after he became the youngest-ever Portuguese player to score in the Champions League back in September. 

Per Portuguese football writer Jan Hagen, he has enjoyed a brilliant season so far in 2015-16 and was called up to the national squad back in November to make his international debut:

While Guedes is undoubtedly a fantastic player, a young, inexperienced talent is not necessarily what United need right now.

They have already become overly reliant in attack on the youthful likes of Jesse Lingard, Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial and undoubtedly need to add proven quality to their forward line in January if they are to improve this season.