Angel Di Maria was one of the top performers for Argentina when they secured a narrow win over France to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Di Maria was heavily involved in the game, scoring the all-important opener while causing all sorts of problems for right-back Jules Kounde.
In light of his excellent display in the final, Mundo Deportivo has come up with a report that suggests Barcelona had the opportunity to sign the attacker in the summer. This is because the player had offered himself to the Catalan club, shortly after his contract ended with PSG.
Di Maria was indeed a free agent in the summer, after putting an end to his seven-year spell in the Parisian outfit. He wanted to join Barcelona on a free transfer.
Xavi Hernandez welcomed the offer as he considered the Argentine someone who could make a difference and add more quality to the attacking department. But as per the report, Barça did not entertain the offer to sign the veteran attacker on a free transfer.
This is because of Di Maria’s age and the wage structure that could have been altered in the event of his arrival. At the age of 34, the Argentine international had already lived the best years of his career while his relatively higher wages could have been an issue for Barça.
Not to mention, the club were keen on signing Robert Lewandowski at the time and were busy making reservations for the Polish international, both from a sporting and financial perspective.
In the end, Di Maria ended up joining Juventus on a free transfer. He signed a year-long contract with the Italian giants and has since been involved in six goals in all competitions, including three assists in three Champions League matches.