da dobrowin： Manchester United spent a whopping £150million on new recruits this summer in a bid to transform themselves back into genuine Premier League title contenders.
da spicy bet： But over a third of that almighty sum was reserved for a single player – once Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria.
Indeed, the Argentina international’s £59.7million arrival smashed the British transfer record, previously set at £50million by infamous Chelsea flop Fernando Torres.
That’s enormous pressure on the 26 year-old’s shoulders, but we at Football FanCast believe he’s more than capable of living up to it – especially following his sensational performance against Germany on Wednesday evening, in which the midfielder claimed one goal and three assists.
In fact, we’re so confident that this will be seen as a fantastic value-for-money buy in a couple of years’ time that we’ve come up with no less than FIVE reasons why.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON UNITED’S RECORD-BREAKER TO REVEAL
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GOALS
Angel Di Maria is by no means the most potent of midfielders. In that regard, he’s some way short of the likes of Arjen Robben, Eden Hazard and Franck Ribery, or even Manchester United’s Juan Mata.
His overall return for Real Madrid stands at 36 goals in 191 appearances, which is decent but hardly outstanding – in short, it’s not a defining characteristic of his game.
But the 26 year-old is consistent in his contribution; he’s never scored less than four or more than seven in any of his five La Liga campaigns, which is the level of return Manchester United can expect too.
He also netted this tasty chip (no sauce) against Germany on Wednesday evening:
It’s good news for the Red Devils – especially if Louis van Gaal plans to use Di Maria in central midfield, as he was fielded in his Premier League debut against Burnley last weekend. As viewable below, United’s other centre-mids found just two goals between them last year – half of the Argentina international’s single-handed haul:
Here’s a look at Di Maria’s Top Ten goals:
//www.youtube.com/embed/G-nxcCsvDUQ?rel=0
ASSISTS
A major factor in Angel Di Maria’s stock going through the roof, re-entering the building at the ground floor and going through the roof once again since he was linked with a move to Tottenham in summer 2013 has been his emergence as one of the top creators in European football.
As viewable below, the transition into central midfield saw him finish up with an incredible 17 assists in La Liga last season:
And that return was significantly greater than the top assisters in the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 last season, whilst the 26 year-old lead the way in terms of creating chances too:
And just in case the Argentina international’s credentials as a world-class creator weren’t already confirmed, he provided no less than three set-ups against Argentina on Wednesday evening:
//www.youtube.com/embed/YweKrYbgH90?rel=0
Versatility and options
Versatility is an important trait for any player, and indeed, in the modern era, most footballers are adaptable and can play in a multitude of positions.
Angel Di Maria is no different – he moved to the Bernabeu as an out-and-out winger, but last season transitioned his role into an almost box-to-box style centre-mid, as shown below:
But for Manchester United, and particularly Louis van Gaal, that versatility could prove vital throughout the coming season. As well-documented and widely debated, the Red Devils have been lining up in a 3-4-1-2 formation this year, imported from LVG’s exploits with the Netherlands at the World Cup:
It’s yet to have the desired effect however, with United still searching for their first competitive win under the Dutchman. There are already calls for LVG to change systems and it remains to be seen if he will.
Di Maria at least gives him the option to do so, being as influential out wide as he is in the middle of the park. Van Gaal’s preferred formation is 4-3-3, used throughout spells with Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, which the Argentina international would fit into with equal – or perhaps even greater – ease.
PACE AND TAKE-ONS
In comparison to its many illustrious forbearers, the current Manchester United’s squad’s most fatal flaw is a lack of prolific pace throughout. Antonio Valencia is a real road-runner but he rarely puts that to good use going forward, whilst Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are rather static for a front two. Even Juan Mata, for a No.10, is incredibly slow.
Well, Angel Di Maria is the perfect remedy. He’s sensationally quick – unquestionably Real Madrid’s fastest player after Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale – and knows how to use it too, regularly attempting to beat his man with trickery and speed.
As viewable below, the Argentina international finished the World Cup as its third most proficient dribbler:
Here’s how he compared to Manchester United’s other attacking options in that regard last season:
And a look at the 26 year-old in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/RS43I74zP7M?rel=0
Manchester United haven’t possessed a player capable of marauding past defenders so easily since Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Dawn of a new transfer policy
Angel Di Maria’s £59million arrival marks the dawn of an entirely new transfer policy at Old Trafford.
Before Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement last summer, the Red Devils’ record transfer fee was for Tottenham’s Dimitar Berbatov, way back in 2008. The £31million deal summarises Ferguson’s attitude in the market perfectly – he’d only pay big fees for players who have already proved themselves at Premier League level. Seven of United’s ten biggest transfers are from other Premiership clubs, two of which (Di Maria and Ander Herrera) arrived this summer.
The Argentina international, on the other hand, cost United nearly twice as much as Berbatov and has never plied his trade in English football before. Attracting such a big name is also a break from recent traditions; over the last few years, the Red Devils have been targeting value-for-money deals and long-term investments, such as Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, over stellar purchases.
It’s already been labelled a move towards Real Madrid’s Galactico model by The Telegraph’s James Wilson, Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp and the BBC, with Di Maria’s record-breaking move followed closely by a lucrative loan deal for Radamel Falcao.
The Colombian will be the name that stands out in that regard due to his enormous wages, but the 26 year-old’s record-breaking arrival is a central pillar of United’s new-found transfer policy too.
It sets a precedent for the coming transfer windows, and Di Maria can be regarded as the first true Galatico of the new era at Old Trafford.