Angel Di Maria performed Barcelona numerous instances throughout his four-year spell at Actual Madrid and can at all times be remembered for inflicting defeat on the Catalans within the well-known 2011 Spanish Cup ultimate the place he assisted Cristiano Ronaldo within the winner.
He’ll face off in opposition to the membership once more tomorrow within the UEFA Champions League, this time with Benfica, and has been given the medical all-clear to return from harm and take part on the night time.
As revealed by AS, Di Maria was in actual fact very near signing for the Blaugrana in 2017. His compatriot Lionel Messi pressed laborious for his incorporation to the then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu however it will definitely didn’t work out.
PSG’s reluctance
The Spanish outlet reveals that the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner’s hyperlinks with Barça had been intently tied with PSG’s operation of signing Neymar Jr for €222 million in 2017.
Having misplaced considered one of their greatest names in change for the lump sum of cash, Barcelona didn’t know reply and splashed the money on Ousmane Dembele.
Messi needed Di Maria at Barcelona in 2017. (Picture by Carmen Mandato/Getty Pictures)
Nonetheless left with cash to spare, they regarded out for extra high quality choices they might incorporate and Di Maria was one participant they had been excited about.
PSG, who had been dealing with Monetary Honest Play sanctions, wanted to generate income and thus put the Argentine up on the market. Messi tried his finest to convey his compatriot to Catalonia as he knew that he was a dependable participant who would slot in the system.
Bartomeu and Co. initially gave hope, however the switch by no means actually took off for a plethora of causes.
The most important hurdle was PSG’s reluctance to do enterprise with Barcelona, particularly given the friction that has grown between the 2 golf equipment. In spite of everything, they’d a big divide after El Remontada and the Neymar switch.