The World Cup winner is set to rekindle his story with the club that gave him his European debut. (Credit: AFP)
Following a tumultuous season with Juventus, the Argentine forward has decided to return back to the Portuguese side after 13 years
Angel Di Maria has made a return to Benfica, after leaving Juventus on a free transfer.
The Argentine has rejoined the Portuguese side he joined in 2007 when he first moved to Europe from Rosario.
It has now been reported that Di Maria has signed a one-year contract with Benfica, keeping the Argentine with them till 2024.
The Primeira Liga champions will be counting on Di Maria to bring in some veteran experience in the wing and help them retain the title in the upcoming season. He will also be reuniting with the likes of fellow Argentina teammate, Nicolas Otamendi, from last year’s World Cup-winning campaign.
The club took to Twitter to announce the signing of the 35-year-old with a post that read,” Welcome Home, Di Maria!”.
The Argentine’s stint with the club between 2007-2010 proved to be the prelude to his big move to Real Madrid, with whom he would go on to win a league title, two domestic cups and the Champions League.
Di Maria signed a one-year deal with Juventus last season after a 7-year stint at PSG. And after he chose to leave following a disastrous season, speculations were rife regarding his next destination.
The Argentine winger was reportedly approached by Inter Miami in the summer, who proposed the idea of reuniting him with Argentina teammate Lionel Messi. However, that would have also meant that the 35-year-old would have to leave European football entirely.
Ultimately, Di Maria seems to have turned down the offer to make a return to the club that gave him his European debut.
Despite his age, the winger still possesses a high level of skill and quality which could help the Portuguese champions to retain their title and push to reach greater heights in the Champions League.
Albeit suffering from several injuries last season, the Argentine bagged 8 goals and 7 assists across all competitions for Juventus. Di Maria was also crucial for Argentina in the World Cup final as went on to score once and assist another goal on their way to victory.
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