Barcelona are reportedly considering a shock summer move for Paris Saint-Germain winger Angel Di Maria.
French outlet Le10Sport have reported that Angel Di Maria has emerged as a surprise target for Barcelona and are considering a move to bring the Paris Saint-Germain winger to Camp Nou in the summer.
Di Maria enjoyed a stellar first season in France, as he scored 15 goals and provided 25 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions, and made the Ligue 1 Team of the Year as well. However, he has followed a successful debut season with a somewhat underwhelming campaign in 2016/17.
PSG have not been at their best under Unai Emery, as they are in an unfamiliar territory in the French top flight, as they sit second in the league behind AS Monaco. And Le Parisiens were also dumped out of the Champions League by Barcelona at the Last 16 stage in embarrassing fashion last week.
That has reflected in the inconsistent performances of the PSG players, including Di Maria, who has two goals and six assists in 22 Ligue 1 games this season. However, one club has been left impressed by the Argentina international’s recent form, and are considering making a move for him in the summer.
Di Maria is believed to have caught the eye of the Barcelona hierarchy with his performance over both legs of their Champions League encounter, and are eyeing the 29-year-old. In fact, the Barcelona directors have established contact with Di Maria’s representatives to discuss a possible summer move.
Di Maria is eager to link up with his international teammate and captain Lionel Messi at Camp Nou, and while PSG were unwilling to let the winger depart from Parc des Princes last summer, they have no such plans this time around.
However, it will be interesting to see exactly how the new Barcelona manager will fit Di Maria into his plans if the transfer does take place come June, with Lionel Messi and Neymar ever present on either wings. Di Maria, with his versatility, can also be deployed in the midfield where his charging runs can be dangerous for opposition defences.
The report states that Barcelona will not launch an offensive for the player just yet, and any formal bid will only be tabled towards the end of the season. It now remains to be seen how things develop in the coming weeks, and if the move actually materialises.
