Angel Di Maria is looking to bring a swift end to his troubled time at Manchester United and has his heart set on Bayern Munich, while Paris Saint-Germain are still in the frame for his signature.
The £59.7 million man endured a difficult first year at Old Trafford following his 2014 switch from Real Madrid, with his form suffering due to a strained relationship with Louis van Gaal and the fall-out from a burglary at his home.
Goal understands that Di Maria's team of advisors have sounded out Bayern regarding a possible move, though the German outfit have not yet lodged a concrete offer with United.
The Argentine has struggled to come to terms with life in England, making only 24 starts in all competitions for United in 2014-15, and found himself increasingly overlooked for a spot in Van Gaal’s side due to the coach's reluctance to use out-and-out wingers in his starting XI.
Furthermore, Van Gaal is thought to be rather ambivalent regarding Di Maria’s future at the club, with his transfer to United having been driven by Ed Woodward rather than the manager himself.
The recent arrival of Memphis Depay from PSV has cast further doubt over Di Maria’s status in Manchester, and he is also known to be keen to leave the UK behind after a break-in at his £4m mansion in February which left his wife shaken-up and scared to return to the property.
Such circumstances have made the 27-year-old want to quit England, with Bayern and Paris Saint-Germain both taking a keen interest.
Reports in France have suggested a deal has been agreed between Di Maria and PSG, with the player's family believed to have visited Paris in late June with a view to securing an apartment. However, Bayern are also in the race after initial contact with the player.
Di Maria is a huge fan of Pep Guardiola and the possibility of working with the Catalan coach has piqued his interest.
Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was non-committal at a press conference on Thursday, telling reporters he had “neither confirmed nor denied” interest in Di Maria. When pushed on a possible swap deal involving Di Maria and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, Rummenigge added: “We have never thought about it – not in Munich, not in Manchester.”
United’s apparent interest in Schweinsteiger, as well as forward Thomas Muller, has been drawn into the equation as a result of their valuation of Di Maria. Woodward and his colleagues on the board are hopeful of regaining almost all of the £59.7m outlay of last summer, but Bayern are extremely unlikely to offer more than around £36m for the Argentine despite their hopes to bolster their wide options.
The Premier League club are not desperate to sell, the Bavarians are unlikely to match their valuation and PSG are waiting in the wings, making the remaining weeks of the transfer window a complicated time for Di Maria. If it's up to him, though, his days at Old Trafford are numbered.
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