Reports: Barcelona to announce capture of €63 million superstar before deadline

What's the story?

With just hours left to the shutting of the 2017 summer transfer window, Barcelona looked like they might have to return from Deadline Day empty handed but the folk over at Catalan daily Sport are reporting some good news, finally, for Barca fans.

After not agreeing on each other's valuations for the past week or so, the reports suggest that talks between PSG and Barca are moving forward at fever-pitch so that they complete the transfer of Angel Di Maria from Paris to Catalunya for a fee reported to be around €63 million.

In case you didn't know

The main sticking point between the two team had been the fee - with PSG demanding €90 million odd for their Argentine star while the Catalans had bid between €25-35 million; with Barca the needy party it was always likely that any acceptable offer would need to be much higher, and thus it appears to have happened.

Barca, and their under siege top management desperately need to announce a blockbuster signing - if they can't get Philippe Coutinho, it doesn't really get much better than a former Real Madrid fan favourite.

The heart of the matter

With Barcelona furiously trawling the market for some sort of alternative for Philippe Coutinho, they'd said to have bid for Thomas Lemar and Mesut Ozil, though nothing concrete had emerged from either late, late, bid.

As far as Di Maria was concerned, apart from the obvious stumbling block of valuation, Barcelona's horrible relationship with PSG (something that was not helped by the Neymar-Veratti saga) didn't help matters and they were several reports coming out of France that the Parisians had blocked off any possible move. But they appear to have softened as the window comes to its business end - and with the UEFA investigation into their Financials looming large over their necks - appear to be willing to sit and talk business with their Catalan counterparts

Video

Here's Di Maria doing his thing for PSG:

With Kylian Mbappe coming in, Di Maria too might feel that his star will not shine bright enough at PSG - besides, he likes playing alongside Leo Messi, doesn't he?

Author's Take

The Argentine was brilliant in his time at Real Madrid (so adapting to La Liga is not even a question) - finding great success as part of a midfield three - this may be the role he will likely get at Barca, and it would certainly add cut and thrust to Barca's staid midfield