Angel Di Maria is open to joining Juventus, although the parties are not fully on the same page on the terms of the contract. The Bianconeri are also reflecting on further aspects of the deal, which has slowed things down a little.
The winger wanted to stay at PSG, but they did not tender an offer. One of his former teams, Benfica, is interested but does not have a large budget. The Old Lady is in pole position, but it is not a done deal yet, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports. The 34-year-old stated a few days ago: “I have to evaluate carefully what to do next. I will not decide on my own, as I have to think about my family too.” He would rather stay in Europe to better prepare for the World Cup.
Di Maria and his entourage asked Juventus for €7.5-8M wages for one season. The Serie A club would prefer a two-year contract. It would allow them to take advantage of fiscal benefits for foreigners transferring to Italy.
The Bianconeri, who are in advanced talks with Paul Pogba, also have reservations about adding two large salaries at the same time after trying to contain the spending on wages in the last couple of years. On the other hand, despite his age, the attacker remained highly productive. He ranked fifth for most chances created in Ligue 1 last season. Di Maria is currently on vacation and will not wait for long, and the alternatives for Juventus would be more expensive.