Angel Di Maria waved goodbye to Benfica this week at the age of 37, signing off with a stellar performance as the Club World Cup’s top scorer, with four goals to his name
His final goal for the club came during the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Round of 16, with the Argentine scoring the only goal for the Eagles.
The Argentine winger will now return to Rosario Central, the club where his professional journey began.
Di Maria’s farewell marks the end of a remarkable European career that spanned some of the continent’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG, Juventus and, of course, Benfica.
Barcelona were close to signing Di Maria twice
However, one name missing from the list is Barcelona – a club that came close to signing the winger not once but twice.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the first serious attempt came in the winter of the 2017/18 season, months after Neymar’s high-profile move to PSG.
Barcelona saw Di Maria as a possible replacement, and PSG were open to selling due to Financial Fair Play concerns.
But the €80 million price tag proved too steep for a then 29-year-old, and the deal collapsed.
The second attempt came in 2022, when Di Maria became a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.
Barça considered a move again, but Juventus acted faster. Just a few months later, Di Maria helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, scoring in the final.
Di Maria would have been an interesting addition to the Barcelona setup on both occasions. But now, the veteran will return to a place where it all began: Rosario Central.
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