Overview
- In a BBC interview Tuesday, Angel Di Maria said a stream of meetings in which Louis van Gaal only highlighted what he did wrong left him demoralised and made him “hate” being at Old Trafford.
- Van Gaal has publicly disputed Di Maria’s framing, saying the signing was a club decision and that he tried the player in multiple positions without finding a role where he was effective.
- Di Maria said personal factors worsened the situation, including a burglary of his Cheshire home and his family's unhappiness, and he refused United’s pre-season trip before negotiating a reported £44.3m move to PSG in 2015.
- After leaving United, Di Maria rebuilt his career at Paris Saint-Germain and with Argentina, winning major honours and playing a key role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup success.
- The episode underlines how tactical mismatch and player welfare can derail high-fee transfers and leaves two competing accounts of responsibility while Di Maria maintains he does not regret signing for United.