Lionel Messi has finally signed a new deal at Barcelona, but it was by no means a straight forward process. According to 'El Chiringuito TV', a stumbling block in negotiations was the club's inability to sign Angel Di Maria.
Messi was adamant that he would only sign a new deal with Barcelona if the club used the money from Neymar's sale to fund a move for another star player, which in this case was Di Maria.
It is no secret that the Argentinian duo share a good relationship. They always get on well while on international duty and have reached a World Cup final together.
The aforementioned source does mention that the PSG forward could still join Messi and co. given the French giants’ need to balance the books after a summer of huge spending.
Barcelona could also take advantage of that knowledge to command negotiations over a transfer price.
Will we see Di Maria in a Barcelona shirt in the coming months? Let us know what you think in the comments.