Man City chase Man Utd’s Angel Di Maria

Posted Monday, June 15, 2015 by squawka.com

Manchester City are one of a number of European clubs interesting in tempting Angel Di Maria away from Manchester United, reports the Sunday Times.

City was eager to sign the Argentinian last summer but could not match United’s offer due to Financial Fair Play restrictions.

However Txiki Begiristain, City’s director of football, has monitored Di Maria’s situation at Old Trafford and has asked the former Real Madrid player’s advisors if he would consider a cross-city transfer.

Di Maria became United’s, and England’s, record transfer last summer when he joined for £66.85 million.

But the midfielder, who was named man of the match in the 2014 Champions League final, has scored just three league goals in 27 appearances.

City are looking to mastermind their return to the top of the Premier League and manager Manuel Pellegrini has been promised a transfer budget to “compete head-to-head with all the top clubs”.

Bayern Munich, Paris Saint Germain and Barcelona have also expressed their interest in the player. However Barcelona would be required to pay significantly more for Di Maria due to an eight-figure penalty clause entered by Real Madrid into last summer’s transfer to avoid the Argentine returning to Spain for an opposition team.

According to the report PSG had convinced Di Maria to join them last season but could not complete the transfer due to falling foul of Financial Fair Play, like Manchester City.