Reports: Juventus to challenge Barcelona for the services of Angel Di Maria

According to TuttoJuve, Juventus are interested in signing Paris Saint-German midfielder Angel Di Maria next summer but will face heavy competition from Spanish giants Barcelona.

Angel Di Maria had enjoyed a stellar five seasons at Paris Saint-Germain after moving to the French capital from Manchester United. Di Maria joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2014 for a then club-record fee of £59.7 million and was given the coveted No.7 shirt.

After a prolific start to life in Manchester, Di Maria's form suffered a major slump as he failed to come to grips with the physicality and pace of the English game. He was then sold to PSG the following summer for £48 million.

The Argentine ace has rediscovered his mojo at PSG, leading the club to four Ligue 1 titles, four Coupe de France titles, four Coupe de La Ligue and a Champions League final in his five years at the club.

The 32-year-old's current contract with PSG will reportedly expire at the end of the season, making him a free agent next summer. Reports suggest that he will be offered a contract extension by PSG but may seek a move away from France in search of a new challenge as he approaches the latter stages of his career.

Juventus and Barcelona seek to take advantage of Angel Di Maria's contract situation with PSG

Juventus will face competition from Barcelona in the race to sign PSG's Angel Di Maria

TuttoJuve claims that Barcelona are targeting a move for two PSG players, Juan Bernat and Di Maria, but Juventus are also keen to sign the Argentine winger. The Blaugrana are eager to pair up Di Maria with his compatriot Lionel Messi as they have worked so well together for the Argentina national team.

Lionel Messi was linked with a move away from Barcelona this summer but it ultimately failed to materialise, leaving the six-time Ballon d'Or winner frustrated with the club's hierarchy. His fury with the Barcelona board heightened after the club sold close friend and club veteran Luis Suarez to rivals Atletico Madrid.

Report: Juventus Interested in Signing Di Maria on a Free Transfer Deal in 2021 https://t.co/ZW0G1KOUTz

— PSG Talk 💬 (@PSGTalk) October 12, 2020

However, Barcelona are now trying to fix their relationship with Messi by making a move for Angel Di Maria. The signing of a quality player like Di Maria will be a statement of intent from the club, which may convince Messi to extend his stay in Catalunya.

Juventus have already signed two wingers this summer in the form of Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kusulevski but seem eager to make the most of Angel Di Maria's current contract situation with PSG.

🚨 BREAKING: Barcelona are looking to sign PSG stars Angel di maria & Julian Bernat next summer. Their contract ends next summer. [ESPNFC] #FCBarcelona #PSG

— Football Transfers (@Transferzone10) October 15, 2020

The Serie A champions have a knack for landing the best free agents, and Di Maria could become the next high-profile player to make the move to Turin. The potential signing of Di Maria could, however, spell the end for Federico Bernadeschi or Paulo Dybala, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea this week.