Friday, 29th August, 2014
Ajax could have signed Angel di Maria from Argentine club Rosario Central for just €6m, but passed on the deal.
Di Maria was officially presented as a Manchester United player yesterday after the Red Devils paid Real Madrid €75m for his services, handing him the number 7 shirt at Old Trafford.
But rather than moving to Benfica in 2007 to start his European football journey, Di Maria could have ended up in the Netherlands with Ajax.
According to Dutch daily De Volkskrant, Ajax were offered the opportunity to sign Di Maria for €6m, while Rosario Central would have also banked 20 per cent of any future sale of the winger.
Ajax refused to take Di Maria, but it is not an episode which springs to mind for the technical director at the club at the time, Martin van Geel.
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"I cannot specifically remember that offer", said Van Geel.
"But it may be that it's written down on paper. We get a lot of messages.
"It is a very nice story, especially since Di Maria has now left for Manchester United for €75m.
"If he had fallen into oblivion after 2007 we would not have heard that story."
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