When Manchester United signed Angel di Maria for a then record fee, for themselves and in Britain, for £59.7 million there was a lot of excitement. Just one year on he was moved on to PSG and there were apparently two reasons.
Angel di Maria had just been Man of the Match for Real Madrid as they won the Champions League final and Louis van Gaal had just taken Netherlands to the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup and things were looking up at Manchester United.
This was a welcome sight for United fans one year on from Fellaini and Moyes. Image: PA
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After one campaign of David Moyes the fans were excited by the prospect of one of the best players on the planet joining probably the hottest manager at the time, it was a plan for success, right?
One year later and Di Maria's time in the north west of England was over and he was sold on to PSG for around £44 million. He's scored just four goals in 32 games and been a flop.
Things started well for Di Maria but quickly went badly. Image: PA
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It was widely thought that an inability to settle in the area had been the main reason for his struggle but an interview with Esporte Interativo former United translator Debora Gomes revealed a belief that the club had only signed him to make money, not win trophies, led to him wanting to leave:
"He was unhappy at the club. Firstly, he couldn't communicate with anyone. And second because he realised the club bought him not because the club thought 'oh, he will bring titles to us because he is a good player.'
"No. Because they simply wanted to sell his shirts. This I heard inside the club, the people talking. 'Di Maria sells T-shirts, so let's buy him'. So he was not happy."
"Then I realised, after Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, the club lost interest in football. It's money, money, money. It's making money and that's it.
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"So the players, when they try and decide who to buy, they will meticulously say: 'what will bring more money?' They are not thinking of bringing joy to the fans. They are thinking of selling."
Just one year on and another shirt ceremony. Image: PA
At times it did feel like Van Gaal didn't actually know how he wanted to use the Argentine. He had excelled in central midfield at the back end of his time at Real Madrid whilst the United boss played him on either flank and as a striker.
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But it does seem mad that United signed one of the world's in form players just to sell shirts and not think about winning trophies.
What do you think?
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Angel Di Maria, Manchester United, PSG, Real Madrid