Barcelona could not omplete a sensational deadline-day move for Angel Di Maria after making a last-ditch effort to sign the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder as they finally give up on Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho, reports have said.
Coutinho has been Barca’s main target throughout the summer but Liverpool’s complete refusal to sell forced them to check out alternative options, and at the 11th hour they attempted to push through a deal for Di Maria before the transfer window closed in Spain on Friday.
Barca had ignored a deal for the former Real Madrid and Manchester United man due to PSG’s elevated demands, but UEFA’s decision to open an investigation into the French club’s spending re-opened talks.
However, sources say Barca, referring to “a crazy transfer market,” dropped out of a potential deal for a second time when PSG responded to their €40 million offer by asking for more than €60m.
The move for Di Maria was met with disillusion by Barcelona’s fan base online — and not just because of his Madrid past.
Selling Di Maria would have lightened PSG’s financial burden, but Barcelona fans are in no mood to help PSG with Neymar’s €222 million move to the French capital is still a sore point in Catalonia.
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