More than that, you could sense on this breakthrough day for manager Louis Van Gaal the possibility that Di Maria, with all the abundant gifts that make him at nearly 60 million pounds ($97.4 million) the most expensive signing in English football, may have found a club where he could again become the king, not some undervalued courtier. It felt like the Theatre of Dreams had found a buccaneer with the pace, invention and elan which seemed to have deserted the place of late, a man worthy of inheriting the red number seven shirt previously donned by the likes of George Best, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo. The standing ovation which Di Maria soaked up from his new Old Trafford admirers after his thrilling man of the match contribution in United’s crushing defeat of QPR on Sunday had a touch of reverential rediscovery about it. REUTERS/Andrew YatesĪt last, at Manchester United, one of the least valued superstars in world football - if there can be such a creature - may just have found the place where he can be truly, madly, deeply appreciated. League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande, who are coached by former Italian World Cup winner Marcello Lippi, are led by creative midfielder Conca, the Argentine previously the best paid player in the league.Manchester United's Angel Di Maria celebrates after scoring a goal against Queens Park Rangers during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England September 14, 2014. Shanghai aren’t the only ones lavishly spending, however. He will line up in a Shanghai forward line already boasting former France international Nicolas Anelka, Colombian creative midfielder Giovanni Moreno and coached by former Argentine boss Sergio Batista. They are enjoying the boom time and flush with global media interest after enticing household names such as Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba from the sport’s traditional power bases of Europe.ĭrogba, fresh from scoring the decisive penalty in the Champions League final for Chelsea against Bayern Munich in May, is expected to arrive in China this week to join Shanghai Shenhua and earn a reported weekly wage of $300,000 a week. SHANGHAI (Reuters) - With the corrupt heading to jail and big name signings rolling in, Chinese soccer is basking in an unusually positive period, but experts have warned the galactico-style transfer policy is unsustainable and investment is being ploughed into the wrong areas.Ĭhina’s rich soccer club owners are not interested in hearing that though.
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