Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is making Angel Di Maria wait for a larger bid before selling him, reports the Daily Mirror.
The 63-year-old is apparently furious with the player’s actions and is now planning to punish him by taking a hard line in negotiations with PSG. A fee of £43.7m was thought to be close between the two sides, but now the Dutchman will hold out for £45m. This is still a £14.9m loss on the £59.7m [BBC] they paid for him last summer.
The 27-year-old had gone AWOL this week, with his boss admitting he doesn’t know where the Argentina international is [Daily Mail]. This has annoyed Van Gaal, according to the Mirror, and he is making a move difficult as a result. Not only does the former Barcelona manager want more money for his record signing, but he is also aiming to get the entire fee paid up front.
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The Red Devils still expect a move to go through though, say the Mirror, and this will mean a replacement will need to be found. With Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu giving their hopes of signing Pedro a huge blow by revealing that he doesn’t foresee any further departures from the Nou Camp [Daily Express], it may be difficult to find the right player.
United have been heavily linked with Benfica wide-man Nicolas Gaitan recently [Daily Telegraph], who could be a great replacement for Di Maria. Able to play on either wing and known for his dribbling skills, the 27-year-old could easily take over from his compatriot.
Di Maria is not the first squad member Van Gaal has fallen out with this summer. The ex-Netherlands manager also blasted Victor Valdes for not following his ‘philosophy’ and playing in the Under 21s side, and has claimed he will sell the goalkeeper as a result [Goal].