Di Maria – why the £59.7m man lasted just one season at Old Trafford.
With Manchester United today confirming the sale of Angel Di Maria to Paris Saint-Germain, here are five reasons the Argentine flopped so badly at Old Trafford…
1) Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal is known for being a difficult manager to work with, and it seems the Dutchman has been unable to do what it takes to persuade Di Maria to stay at the club and put his problems behind him. Did the club do enough to support the South American star during this tough time? It seems not.
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2) Lack of clear position
Di Maria played in a whole variety of roles last season, never nailing down a regular spot. Again, this is largely down to Van Gaal’s tinkering and strange tactical ideas. The Argentine is a versatile player, but everyone has their limits, and he certainly should not have been used in central midfield or up front.
3) Having to be the star
Coming from Real Madrid, where he played a back seat role to allow players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema to shine, suddenly Di Maria was the biggest name in the United team, and he just isn’t the type to dominate games on his own like some expected.
4) Lack of winter break
Having had a generally easier time in the less competitive La Liga, Di Maria also had to cope without a winter break for the first time, having also played a whole World Cup for Argentina that previous summer. Could fatigue have been a bigger issue than many people realise?
5) Burglary
Clearly, United should have dealt with this better, as Di Maria and his family clearly never recovered from the trauma of their home being burgled in the winter. The Argentine has unsurprisingly been keen to leave England since then and there’s no doubt something like that can seriously affect confidence and performances.