Angel Di Maria was one of the biggest names in Europe to have changed clubs last summer when he signed for Manchester United for a British record of €76m, and when asked about why Manchester City didn’t sign the former Real Madrid winger, manager Manuel Pellegrini explained it was because of their tight budget.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Manchester Derby, the former Real Madrid and Malaga boss said, "I think it is very easy," he told reporters. "We had important restrictions about our budget this year. We cannot spend the money that United paid for Di Maria.”
Unlike the previous years, Manchester City were one of the fewer noise makers during the transfer window and a lot of that has to do with the Financial Fair Play regulations.
"We had important restrictions on the amount of players we can have this year and also the amount of money we can spend,” he adds.
When asked if Di Maria was Manchester United's biggest threats, Pellegrini said, "If you asked me if he is a good player I think he is a good player and a very useful player for every team."
He adds, "I think he is a very good player, but he is not the only good player at Manchester United."
Watch the press-conference here: