PSG superstar could emerge as major casualty should Man United star Angel Di Maria complete £45.9m transfer to Ligue 1

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Angel Di Maria’s long-awaited move to Paris Saint-Germain from Manchester United looks set to be completed imminently.

The ex-Real Madrid winger swapped the Bernabeu for Old Trafford in the summer of 2014, moving to United for a club-record £59.7 million [Telegraph].

However, after an underwhelming campaign in the Premier League, he looks set to move on, and having almost moved to PSG last summer, he may finally complete a switch to the French capital this summer.

The Mirror report that Laurent Blanc’s reigning French champions were plotting a £45.9 million move for the winger, and the manager indicated—in an interview with L’Equipe—that the player’s future would be settled imminently.

However, Di Maria’s arrival at PSG will likely come at a cost, with Blanc required to use his expensive new addition in the starting XI.

Here, options may be limited.

The coach can hardly drop either of Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Edinson Cavani, who scored 19 and 18 league goals respectively last term, while two of the three midfield places in the 4-3-3 formation would be filled by Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi.

Between those two midfielders will likely be an anchor man; typically, that would be Thiago Motta, but with the Italy international linked with a move to Arsenal or Inter Milan, David Luiz or Adrien Rabiot may step into the midfield.

The key casualty could be Javier Pastore.

Despite enjoying his best campaign to date at Paris last term—bagging five goals and contributing 12 assists—the Argentine playmaker could be the player most likely to be affected by Di Maria’s arrival.

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Pastore has not always demonstrated consistency during his time at Paris—since moving from Palermo for an eye-watering €39.8 million in 2011.

The player has been linked with a move to Juventus, and despite indicating that he was not considering a return to Italy [BeInSport], Di Maria’s arrival may prompt the playmaker to reconsider his future.

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