midfielder Angel di Maria from Real
Madrid for a British record transfer fee of
£59.7 million, the English Premier League
club announced on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old's move, on a five-year contract,
shatters the previous British record fee of £50m
paid by Chelsea to sign Spain striker Fernando
Torres from Liverpool in 2011.
"Manchester United is delighted to announce that
Angel Di Maria has completed his transfer for a
British record fee of £59.7 million. Angel joins
on a five-year contract," said a club statement.
United manager Louis van Gaal added: "Angel is
a world-class midfielder but most importantly he
is a team player. There is no doubting his
immense natural talent.
"He is a tremendously fast and incisive left-
footed player who puts fear into the most
accomplished defence," the Dutchman explained.
"His dribbling skills and his ability to take on and
beat opponents are a joy to watch. He is an
excellent addition to the team."
Meanwhile di Maria said it was van Gaal's
"vision" for the English giants that had persuaded
him to move to Old Trafford, even though United,
are not in this season's Champions League
following their unexpectedly lowly seventh place
in last term's Premier League.
Angel Di Maria
"I am absolutely delighted to be joining
Manchester United," di Maria said. "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."
Di Maria came through one of the most celebrated
youth academies in Argentinian football in
Rosario Central.
In 2007, he joined Portuguese club Benfica,
before signing for Real Madrid in 2010.
The Argentina international has scored 10 goals
in 52 appearances for his country.
His arrival in Manchester is the headline deal of
United's overhaul under new manager van Gaal,
who had already spent a combined £72 million on
England left-back Luke Shaw, Spanish midfielder
Ander Herrera and Di Maria's Argentina
teammate Marcos Rojo, who is also left-footed
like him.
Di Maria could make his debut at Burnley on
Saturday as van Gaal looks to revitalise a United
team still without a win after the first two games
of the new Premier League campaign.
Di Maria has an impressive pedigree after winning
the Champions League with Real last season and
the Spanish title in 2012.
He was also named on Fifa's 10-man shortlist for
the best player at the recent World Cup where
Argentina reached the final, although he was
unable to play in that game or the semifinal
because of an injury he suffered in the
quarterfinal win over Belgium.
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