As expected, Angel Di Maria has completed his £44.3million move to Paris Saint Germain thus bringing an end to his disappointing spell in England.
Manchester United paid a British record £59.7million to take the Argentina international from Real Madrid just 12 months ago, in a deal lauded as one of the most exciting of recent years. But despite a promising start to life in the Premier League this form dropped alarmingly, and Louis van Gaal selected him to start just once in their last 10 matches as they chased a top-four finish.
Di Maria was hugely unsettled by an attempted burglary at his Cheshire house in January, when three men smashed his patio doors with scaffolding poles before the alarm scared them off. It is widely thought that this was the beginning of the end for his time at Old Trafford, and he has been heavily linked with a move to the French capital for a second successive summer.
Financial Fair Play regulations prevented PSG from making a real push for the 27-year-old ahead of last season, which paved the way for United to complete his transfer. But the Ligue 1 giants have no such restrictions this time round, so after their initial offer of just £28million was rejected by the Reds, their improved bid of £44.3million was accepted and a deal has now been concluded.
Di Maria arrived in Doha, where the French club’s owners are based, on Sunday for talks with officials, and he has since passed a medical. Now the transfer has been confirmed he will be unveiled as a PSG player at a press conference in Paris on Thursday. United, meanwhile, are now expected to step up their interest in Pedro, the Barcelona forward who is available for £17.5million.
