Manchester United’s manager Louis van Gaal has said that he still doesn’t know where Angel Di Maria is. The Old Trafford outfit’s record signing has not reported for their preseason tour so far, although he was scheduled to meet up with the squad in the United States on the 25th of July.
After the Red Devils lost their match against Paris Saint-Germain 2-0, Van Gaal was asked for an update on Di Maria’s status in the post-match press conference, in response to which he said, "You can ask that every week, but it is the same answer. Maybe you know? I don't know that either," as reported by ESPN FC.
Van Gaal doesn’t comment; Blanc believes deal is close
The Argentine winger, who is being courted by PSG, has stayed away from Manchester United’s tour and has also not informed the club of his whereabouts and plans. It looks like he is trying to force a move away from the team by not showing up to join the team.
When asked about the transfer status of the former Real Madrid man, Van Gaal told ESPN FC, "I don't know because I'm not the same manager as Laurent Blanc. I don't want to answer these questions. With Manchester United, we shall announce something when it is already done and not when it isn't done, because it's a process. I have said that many times. We will have to wait and see and I don't want to interfere.”
When asked to comment on their bid for Angel Di Maria, Laurent Blanc, the manager of Paris Saint-Germain, said, “You know negotiations are in tandem. But as United and Paris Saint Germain are both big clubs, that can be difficult. But we feel we are close to the end," as per further reports in ESPN FC.
Di Maria played 27 games in total for Manchester United last season, scoring 4 goals and assisting 11. He could not hold down a regular place in the first-team and also had to sit out for some time due to injuries. What didn’t help his case was his sending-off in an FA Cup game against Arsenal for pulling the referee’s shirt and standing up to him.
He moved to United from Real Madrid in the summer of 2014 for a British record transfer fee of £59.7 million, but has since failed to impress on a regular basis, shining only sporadially. He has found it difficult to fit into Louis van Gaal’s system at Old Trafford.