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Di Maria: Only money stopped me joining PSG

ESPN staff
November 17, 2014
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Angel Di Maria has revealed that Paris Saint-Germain's financial problems prevented him from leaving Real Madrid for the Ligue 1 champions this summer.

Di Maria, 26, signed for Manchester United in a £59.7 million deal despite reported interest from the Parisian giants, and has scored three goals and set up five more in nine appearances since moving to Old Trafford.

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PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi claimed the Argentina international was "too expensive" for his side following the club's €60m fine for breaching UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations, and Di Maria now says money proved to be the decisive factor behind the failed transfer.

"PSG, I think they had a money problem and they couldn't buy players," he told French station Telefoot. "This is the main reason I didn't go there. Playing in the French league would please a lot of players.

"Now I'm in the English league. But you never know, there is a lot of movement in football. You can never predict where you're going to play.

"There were a lot of clubs interested in me, a lot really. But Manchester United appeared and didn't go away. They absolutely wanted me and it happened."

Despite opting to leave Champions League winners Real for a club who failed to qualify for continental football this season, Di Maria is convinced he made the correct decision.

"It's a different style of football here at Manchester United," he continued. "I'm very happy. I don't have regrets about leaving Real Madrid. I think I won everything I wanted with Real: La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey."

Despite seeing a proposed move to PSG fall through, Di Maria has not ruled out moving to France in future, adding: "It could have been a good experience for me to go to Paris. I know I'm still young, perhaps I'll go to PSG one day. I don't know how it will all end."

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