Manchester United acquired midfielder Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid last summer for a record transfer fee (£59.7million) and signed him to a five-year deal. Could he be headed out after just 21 games with his new team?
According to the Manchester Evening News, the Argentinian was "berated" by manager Louis van Gaal following the team's win at Liverpool on Sunday, which may have indicated his "future was plunged into doubt." Van Gaal was reportedly upset with Di Maria's second half performance as a substitute and gave him an earful after the match.
The star midfielder has struggled in recent weeks and lost his job to teammate Ashley Young after being hit with a red card on Mar. 9 in Man U's FA Cup quarterfinal match against Arsenal. Van Gaal had the organization invest a lot of money in the 27-year-old and is likely frustrated with his recent performance, especially since the club currently sits in fourth place in the Premier League and is poised to earn a Champions League bid next year.
As a result of the encounter between the two men, there has been much speculation about Di Maria moving on this summer. It's been reported both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have expressed interest in acquiring the midfielder, so if Di Maria wants out he will have some strong suitors. In fact, he nearly signed with PSG last summer before deciding on Manchester United.
However, it doesn't look like the team is willing to part ways with him.
"Manchester United are determined to keep Angel Di Maria at Old Trafford, club sources have told ESPN FC, despite recent uncertainty over his future," writes Miguel Delaney. "...Despite reports that Di Maria was unhappy with some of Van Gaal's tactical instructions -- including apparently being warned off running with the ball --- ESPN FC sources have said that the midfielder is actually one of the few players that the Dutchman has given licence to make forward surges, while United will block any attempts from him to leave."
We'll if anything happens once the summer transfer window formally opens on July 1.
