Barcelona pull out of move to sign Angel Di Maria

8 Jun 2022 22:50 BST
3 min read

Angel Di Maria, PSG, 2021/22 — © ProShots

The future of Angel Di Maria took another twist after Barcelona reportedly pulled out of a move for the Argentine just days after he agreed to join them.

The 34-year-old is a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain and he was expected to join Barcelona having already been in advanced talks to sign for Juventus.

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But the Spanish side have allegedly had a change of heart after targeting a host of other experienced players over the age of 30.

With Robert Lewandowski, Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta all rumoured to be lined up by Barca, it is believed that the club opted against signing another veteran in Di Maria.

They are against raising the average age of the squad any further and will instead continue to prioritise a move for 25-year-old Leeds winger Raphinha.

What does the future hold for Di Maria and Barcelona?

Di Maria was understood to have opted against joining Juventus as his family were keen on a return to Spain, however the Italian side could still be an option.

The deal was complicated by Juventus wanting a two-year deal while Di Maria wanted a 12 month contract as he plans to return to Argentina next year.

But the two sides, who were also apart in regards to salary, may still come to an agreement should a move to Spain not materialise, although Juventus are said to be losing patience with the situation.

The past is the past for Angel Di Maria 😤 pic.twitter.com/bPH9xP2bkk
— GOAL (@goal) June 8, 2022

For Barcelona, they have had personal terms agreed with Raphinha for months but Leeds are refusing to budge on their price tag, rumoured to be somewhere around €60 million.

With the Spanish side still in financial disarray, it remains to be seen whether a conclusion can be reached and they may return to Di Maria if all else fails.

The former Real Madrid star was initially marked as an experienced replacement for the Ousmane Dembele, who is out of contract and set to leave on a free transfer.