Barcelona made a lot of progress since Xavi Hernandez took over in November last year. Even so, the sour endto the 2021-22 season made it clear that they still have a lot of work to do to be the European heavyweight they once were.
At the end of the day, Barca couldn’t do better than a second-place finish in La Liga and also fell short in their quest for the UEFA Europa League title. The standards at Camp Nou are certainly much higher, which is why this offseason is crucial for the Cules.
However, their financial situation is far from great, as they are still battling with debt. That may explain why a former Real Madrid star who runs out of contractin June has been offered to the Catalans.
Report: Barcelona were ‘offered’ former Real Madrid player who hits free agency
According to Mundo Deportivo, Angel Di Maria was offered to Barcelona by his agents. The Argentine star is set to become a free agent this summer as he won’t sign a new deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
Di Maria, who spent the past seven years in the French capital, has also played for Barcelona’s lifelong rivals Real Madrid between 2010 and 2014 – winning six titles with the Merengue, including a Champions League and a La Liga trophy.
Angel Di Maria in action for Real Madrid in the 2014 UEFA Champions League final. (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The Rosario-born winger, however, is reaching the final stages of his career as he turned 34 this year. He is still an important member of the Argentina national team, but he’ll probably retire from international soccer after Qatar 2022.
Therefore, Barcelona don’t seeminterested in El Fideo. The Cules’ priority at the position is Ousmane Dembele, whose future is still uncertain as his deal is also up in the summer.
But even if they fail to extend his contract, Barca are expected to go afterBrazilian winger Raphinha, who has just avoided relegation from the Premier League with Leeds United. Di Maria, on the other hand, could continue his career at Juventus to replace Paulo Dybala, who is also leaving for free.
