Di Maria to Barcelona: Laporta vetoes Xavi's wish to sign PSG star
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 27 Jun 2022 10:14 CDT
- 3 min read
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has denied Xavi's request to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Angel Di Maria this summer.
Xavi, 42, took over from Ronald Koeman in the Camp Nou dugout mid-way through last season, and is overseeing his first summer transfer window in charge of the club.
The potential list of arrivals at the club includes the likes of Sevilla's Jules Kounde and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, while Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen are both expected to arrive on free transfers.
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Raphinha and Cesar Azpilicueta have also been linked with a move to the Spanish coast.
Angel Di Maria won't be joining Barcelona
One player who won't be joining the Blaugrana is Argentine star Angel Di Maria. The 34-year-old will become a free agent once his PSG contract expires on 30 June, but Laporta has knocked back Xavi's wish to sign him.
According to Gerard Romero, Xavi is a huge fan of the player and wanted to add him to the Barcelona ranks ahead of next season as he looks to bolster the attacking options available to him. Di Maria joined PSG from Man Utd seven years ago, and it's understood that he wants a new challenge as he enters the final stages of his career.
But, Laporta opposed the proposed deal, with the Argentine's links to Real Madrid, whom he played for between 2010 and 2014, one sticking point. Furthermore, it's understood that due to the lack of a transfer fee, Di Maria was demanding a huge €9 million annual salary.
With Barcelona looking to blood fresh young talent into the squad, signing Di Maria on huge wages is deemed to have been a backwards step by Laporta. However, the president does remain keen on signing Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski.
It's believed that Juventus are leading the race to sign Di Maria, with talks reportedly due to take place this week as the Old Lady crank up the pressure as they look to sign a replacement for Paulo Dybala.
