Angel di Maria could barely be happier with life at Old Trafford, claiming Manchester United have exceeded his expectations thus far.
The Argentina international was voted Man of the Match when Real Madrid defeated city rivals Atletico in the UEFA Champions League final last May, and then went on to enjoy an impressive World Cup Finals when he helped his side reach the final. So it was something of a surprise, then, when Los Blancos made the former Benfica forward available for transfer in the summer.
Despite a lack of European football in the red half of Manchester this season, new coach Louis van Gaal was armed with a significant budget to spend on his squad ahead of the September 1 deadline. The Dutch coach appears to have used this money will with a number of top-class players arriving, yet none have caught the eye more than £59.1million record signing di Maria.
The 26-year-old has scored three goals in his six Premier League appearances, and has also chipped in with four assists. There were suggestions when he made the move to England that he did so merely to boost his already handsome bank balance, but he has now hit back at such accusations, whilst revealing that United have so far fulfilled his expectations and then some.
“I have these amazing feelings about having moved to Man United,” di Maria told The Mirror. “It’s hard to explain it and put it in words. I wanted to wear this shirt. And it is so nice for me to wear the number seven shirt. I do know that it is a huge thing for all United fans. I think people here are happy with me. So I must honour this shirt. I must confess that I had all these expectations – but Manchester United have exceeded my expectations. It has all been perfect for me so far.”
United will certainly need di Maria to be at his scintillating best on Sunday afternoon, when Chelsea head north. Jose Mourinho’s side have been in excellent form this season, remain unbeaten and will look to open up an eight point lead over champions Manchester City; and if they do collect maximum points, they will also soar a whopping 13 ahead of van Gaal’s side.
Do you think di Maria will spend the rest of his career at Old Trafford, considering he has already had the Real Madrid experience? Join in with the discussion below to let us know.
