Report: Barcelona, PSG Were Less Than £10M Apart on Di Maria Transfer
A report in France claims that Angel Di Maria could have become Barcelona player this summer, but the Catalans refused to meet Paris Saint-Germain's valuation as the transfer window closed.
Barcelona were famously active during the final weeks of the window and were involved in several almighty transfer sagas, some successful (Ousmane Dembele), some not so (Philippe Coutinho). However, according to L'Equipe (via O Globo) they would've secured a deal for target and former Real Madrid man Di Maria, if they had only upped their offer by around €10m.
Apparently, PSG - not content with taking Neymar from Barcelona - held out for a €60m for the 29-year-old winger, while Barça's highest offer came in at €45m plus €5m in add-ons.
PSG's record-shattering summer deals for both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have prompted furious debate about the nature of Financial Fair Play (FFP) with many reports indicating the club will need to sell some of their fringe assets in order to avoid punishment from the governing bodies.
While the club raised around £60m from the sales of stars including Serge Aurier and Blaise Matiudi, UEFA have now announced an investigation in PSG for potential breaches of FFP.
Di Maria, who remained at the Parc de Princes despite speculation over his future, has made four appearances in Ligue 1 so far this season registering one assist. He was however left out as PSG beat Celtic 0-5 in the Champions League on Tuesday with a thigh problem.
