Paris Saint-Germain have propelled to a completely different level this season. 60 points from 22 games, a place in the League Cup final already booked, favourites to beat Chelsea in the Champions League, unbeaten in the league and well on course to achieve an unprecedented back-to-back domestic quadruple.

There are reasons for this of course. The level of competition in France has dipped. The notable title contenders have been inconsistent. PSG as a team have got better. And one of the fundamental reasons for this is down to the arrival of one man; Angel di Maria.

His move to Paris had been a year in the making. Had it not been for FFP restraints during the summer of 2014, the Argentine would have been a Paris Saint-Germain player a lot sooner. The club’s hands were tied by UEFA at that time and they even tried to find loopholes around a deal with his then club Real Madrid.

Los Blancos turned down a loan offer from the French champions which would have then seen the player make a permanent move the following summer. As a consequence, he ended up signing for Manchester United in a record-breaking deal for a British club.

Di Maria's PSG career a long time in the making

Things started well for him in Manchester but he did raise an eyebrow or two with comments he made to the French station Telefoot in November 2014; "PSG, I think they had a money problem and they couldn't buy players. This is the main reason I didn't go there. Playing in the French league would please a lot of players. But, you never know, there is a lot of movement in football. You can never predict where you're going to play.”

Di Maria is loving life at PSG at the minute. (Picture: ESPN)
Di Maria is loving life at PSG at the minute. (Picture: ESPN)

It was made blatantly obvious that he wanted the move to Paris. The links never simmered away, even despite his mega money move to England. The FFP sanctions were lifted and allowed Les Parisiens to flex their financial might again. In the end ADM would make his move to the Parc des Princes for €63m.

His move was greeted with adulation from supporters and journalists alike. Despite an ill-fated season in England, his exploits in Madrid propelled him to superstar status. Very much a player of world-class ability is now plying his trade in France.

But, he did have his critics during the autumn months. L’Equipe questioned that he should be delivering more considering the amount of money PSG paid. This led to him responding in an interview with beIN Sports. He said; "There’s always going to be criticism, but sometimes people criticise just for the sake of it because they get a kick out of it."

Di Maria currently thriving in Paris 

Well those critics certainly have egg on their faces now because his form from December has been imperious. The 27-year-old is without question Paris’ main attacking outlet. His influence not only comes from the right-hand side but also through the middle. He loves to come inside and dictate the play and his awareness to spot a pass is second to none. The amount of times he has played a diligent through ball to slice a defence in two is countless.

Quick, agile, the ability to orchestrate a counter-attack and also has that aura about him. Bums lift off seats when he is on the ball. He never looks for the easy pass. He is always looking to make something happen. The confidence in him is a far contrast to those days in Manchester where – for whatever reason – his abilities were stifled. We are seeing the Di Maria from those heady days in Madrid where he helped them win a 10th European Cup.

The stats do not lie. Eight league goals, 10 assists; plus three goals in the Champions League. Compare that to last season where he only managed three goals in the league for United but did accumulate 10 assists overall. Nevertheless, with four months of the season left to play he has already matched that total.

His exploits before the winter break resulted in him being named Ligue 1 Player of the Month for December. He is well on course to do that again for January. His goal against Angers; a stunning long range volley. And most recently in the week against Toulouse with a long-range stunner to seal a place in the Coupe de la Ligue final just emphasis the confidence of the player. Everything he touches at the moment just seems to turn to gold.

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About the author
Ross Mackiewicz
Founder and Editor of 1970 PSG.