Angel di Maria finally became a Manchester United player for a British record £59.7million on Tuesday night and immediately claimed he would not have left Real Madrid for any other club.
The Argentinean winger signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford that will net him £6.5m a year after tax. That will put the 26-year-old just behind United captain Wayne Rooney in terms of earnings and takes the club’s investment in the player to beyond the £100m mark.
Di Maria’s suggestion that he would only have left Spain for United will raise eyebrows across town at Manchester City. The defending Barclays Premier League champions were offered the player on exactly the same terms last week.
‘I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester United,’ said Di Maria.
‘I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Spain and there were a lot of clubs interested in me, but United is the only club that I would have left Real Madrid for.
‘Louis van Gaal is a fantastic coach with a proven track record of success and I am impressed by the vision and determination everyone has to get this club back to the top – where it belongs. I now just cannot wait to get started.’
