He arrived as the most expensive player in the history of British football and left Manchester United less than a year later as a £59.7million flop. Hardly surprising then that Angel Di Maria returns to Old Trafford with a point to prove.
United have made some big mistakes when signing South American players down the years. Think Juan Veron, Anderson, Radamel Falcao and, of course, Kleberson.
But none have turned out to be quite so costly as Di Maria. When he departed for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2015 with a record of just 24 starts and four goals, United took a near £16m hit on their investment.
Angel Di Maria will return to Old Trafford on Tuesday evening with Paris Saint-Germain
The Argentinian spent a solitary season with Manchester United — the 2014-15 campaign
Di Maria had highs and lows in the United shirt, although he generally struggled for form
Appearances - 27 | Goals - 3
Starts - 20 | Subbed off - 13
The Argentine’s success for PSG in the three-and-a-half years since then suggests that United’s faith in him was not totally misplaced. Di Maria had, after all, been signed from Real Madrid in the summer of 2014 having just helped the Spanish club secure a coveted 10th Champions League crown.
Perhaps the root of his problems in Manchester was that he never really wanted to leave Madrid in the first place.
‘My intention was always to stay at Real,’ Di Maria said later, revealing that he almost joined PSG at the time.
‘After winning La Decima, I went to the (2014) World Cup with the hope of receiving the nod from the directors, which never came. Many lies were spoken. They always wanted to attribute a desire to leave the club, but it was not true. I ended up going to United.’
He did score a spectacular goal against Leicester in September, shortly after he joined the club
Di Maria and his family were left shaken after their house in nearby Cheshire was burgled
His career in England actually started quite well. A promising debut against Burnley at Turf Moor – not the easiest place for a South American star to be introduced to the Premier League – was followed by a goal on his first appearance at Old Trafford in a 4-0 win over QPR. Two more followed against Leicester and Everton to make it three goals in five games.
Di Maria’s problems began when manager Louis van Gaal decided to move him away from his preferred position on the wing and into a more central role, either in midfield or up front where a player famed for his dribbling skills would sometimes find himself with his back to goal.
Di Maria’s contribution waned and his consistency fluctuated. The relationship and trust between player and manager began to break down.
‘There were problems with the coach at the time,’ he said recently. ‘But thanks to God, I was able to come to PSG and be myself again.
