"So much technique" - Gianluigi Buffon compares Barcelona and Juventus target to Diego Maradona 

Legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has expressed his excitement about former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) team-mate Angel Di Maria potentially moving to his former club Juventus.

The 34-year-old, who has been linked with both Juventus and Barcelona, will be a free agent once his contract with PSG expires on June 30th.

Since his arrival at the Parc des Princes in 2015, Di Maria has featured in 295 matches across all competitions, registering 93 goals and 119 assists. He helped the club lift an impressive 18 trophies during his seven-year stint.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Goal], Parma goalkeeper Buffon compared his former team-mate to legendary Argentina forward Diego Maradona.

"Right now, [Angel] Di Maria in Serie A is like Maradona. Am I clear? Footballers must be valued considering the context where they play. Today, Serie A is technically poorer and Angel has so much technique."

He continued:

"He is decisive in front of goal, he dribbles past his opponents so easily. He is good at delivering assists and runs up and down the pitch. He can play in different roles. In a few words: he is a football player.”

Di Maria has won one La Liga title, five Ligue 1 titles, two Copa del Rey trophies and one UEFA Champions League crown during a storied club career. He scored the winner in the 2021 Copa America final against Brazil for Argentina.

Di Maria expected to shine at Juventus

Di Maria is expected to make a mark at Juventus despite most considering him past his prime. In this context, Buffon said:

"I am 44, but I still play. Age doesn’t matter. Motivation and passion are much more important and the same goes for determination. If Di Maria joins Juventus, it means that he’s ready to do so."

He explained:

"We are talking of an exemplary professional, a nice guy, one who never gives up and fights during games and training sessions. I repeat, for today’s Serie A, he’d be like Maradona."

He further added:

"At PSG, I played with Neymar, a young Kylian Mbappe, Marco Verratti, but Di Maria was not inferior to any of them. When he won the Decima at Madrid in 2014, he was playing with Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. He was always a step back but knew how to play as a winger, attacking midfielder and even mezzala."

The 10-time Serie A winner concluded:

Whoever signs him, and I hope it’s Juve, makes a deal. We are talking about a champion and football needs champions."

Buffon played alongside Di Maria at PSG during the 2018-19 season, winning the Ligue 1 title and the Trophee des Champions trophy together.