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Barcelona are reportedly out of the race to acquire the services of Argentina forward Angel Di Maria, who has also been linked with Juventus.
The 34-year-old, who is renowned for his flair and dribbling, will be a free agent once his contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expires on June 30. He has been linked with Juventus and Barcelona over the possibility of a Bosman deal.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus have inched ahead of the La Liga giants in their pursuit of the left-footed magician. The Old Lady are reportedly prepared to offer Di Maria a one-year contract worth up to €7 million.
Speaking to ESPN, the former Manchester United winger also confirmed Juventus' interest in him. He said:
"Juventus? They’re the greatest club in Italy. They're one of the teams that are interested in me. But I still need time to reflect."
Meanwhile, Barcelona have stepped away from the negotiating table with Di Maria, as per transfer expert Gerard Romero. Although head coach Xavi has spoken to Di Maria ahead of a potential move, president Joan Laporta is not in favour of the former Real Madrid player arriving at Camp Nou.
Di Maria has emerged as an option for Barcelona this summer along with Leeds United forward Raphinha [via The Sun], who is also being courted by Arsenal.
Since joining the Ligue 1 club in the summer of 2015, Di Maria has featured in 295 matches across all competitions, registering 93 goals and 119 assists. He helped the club lift an impressive 18 trophies during his seven-year stint.
Di Maria has won one La Liga title, five Ligue 1 titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, and one UEFA Champions League crown during a storied club career. He scored the game-winner in the 2021 Copa America final for Argentina against Brazil.
Barcelona aim to be active this summer transfer window
The Blaugrana, who finished second in La Liga last season behind rivals Real Madrid, are keen to head into the upcoming 2022-23 season with a revamped squad.
According to Sky Sports, the Catalan outfit is interested in luring striker Robert Lewandowski away from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. On the other hand, the club is also interested in roping in Chelsea defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso [via SPORT].
As for departures, winger Ousmane Dembele is set to end his five-year stay at Barcelona with Chelsea interested in him [via SPORT]. Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong has also been heavily linked with Manchester United over a potential summer move [via Manchester Evening News].
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit ESPN and H/T Sportskeeda
