With Angel Di Maria struggling to impress in France, the Argentine could have come to some sort of realisation that European football may not be his niche in the world of football. Di Maria’s dip in form in recent weeks has made people think that it is the case of same player, different side.
Di Maria originally moved to England last summer in a £59.7m move from Real Madrid. Fans believed that this was going to be the signing that would help manager Louis Van Gaal, to his first major title at United, but it never happened.
The 27-year-old started his career in red impressively; he was beginning to be a fan favourite. His form was only temporary and this was the reason why the player was dropped to a position on the bench.
Paris Saint-Germain signed him up this summer for a fee of £44m and his situation at that club is eerily similar to what he did at United. Scoring only two goals in his six appearances isn’t the most impressive for someone worth so much and similarities to his start are now evident.
The price tag that both United and Paris Saint-Germain placed on the player may have and still does weight on his head. But, for a player of his quality, it shouldn’t affect his play this much.
Both the fans of PSG and the media surrounding the club are showing signs that the player isn’t performing to their expectations. French publishers L’Equipe have begun asking questions about the player. An example of this is: ‘when will it click?’
It is not surprising that Les Parisiens boss (and former United defender) Laurent Blanc said, according to ESPN, that the Argentine has ‘weakened’ his side in the game against Real Madrid last week in the Champions League. Blanc has since expressed his views on Di Maria’s performances as ‘average’.
It is obvious that Blanc has been trying to replicate the powerful attack of Barcelona. The side already have Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the front of the three, Edinson Cavani pushed onto one of the wings and Di Maria is trying to be pushed into the other.
His career with the Ligue 1 leaders has only just began so he has time to change. If he doesn’t perk up his play, people will think that he will end his career in France the same way he did in England.
