Angel Di Maria to PSG: Manchester United winger set for medical as £44.3m fee is agreed

Di Maria set to hold talks with PSG officials in Doha

Tom Sheen
Sunday 02 August 2015 13:10 BST
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Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria
Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria (Getty Images)

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Angel Di Maria is to have a medical with Paris Saint-Germain in the next 24 hours after the Ligue 1 club agreed a €63million (£44.3m) fee with Manchester United for the winger.

According to various reports Di Maria is due to hold talks with PSG officials in Doha on Sunday and is expected to undergo a medical with the French champions. He could sign for PSG as early as Monday.

The fee would mean a £15.3m loss for United for a 27-year-old considered one of the best players in the world before they bought him. Di Maria, bought for a British record £59.7m, starred for Real Madrid as they won the Champions League in 2014 and helped Argentina reach the final of the World Cup.

After an encouraging start, Di Maria's form quickly dipped while an attempted burglary in February caused his family to become unsettled. The Argentinian started just one game in the final three months of the season under Louis van Gaal.

Di Maria said as recently as June that he wanted to stay at United, but it became apparent that he had his heart set on a move to the French capital in the last couple of weeks.

The Argentinian was due to report for duty during the second leg of United's pre-season tour of the United States on July 25, but failed to show.

After United's 2-0 defeat to PSG in Chicago on Thursday, Laurent Blanc said both clubs were "close" to striking a deal for the former Benfica player.

"Manchester United and PSG are two big clubs and negotiations can be difficult but we are close to the end," the PSG coach said.

United manager Louis van Gaal claimed at the time that he had no idea where his star midfielder was.

"I don't know where he is," the United boss said.

"You can ask that every week but I don't answer that question."

Van Gaal is expected to move quickly to sign a replacement for Di Maria. The Dutchman is interested in Barcelona forward Pedro, who was frustrated by his lack of game time at the Nou Camp last season.

Additional reporting from PA

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