DI MARIA QUITS JUVENTUS AFTER ONE SEASON

Angel Di Maria, an Argentine winger, left Juventus after one season and is now a free agent amid reports that a Saudi Arabian club may have set its sights on him.

The 35-year-old World Cup winner arrived in Turin after seven seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, and in a season without a trophy, he scored eight goals in 40 appearances for Juve.

Di Maria wrote on Instagram, “I go with the peace of mind that I gave everything to assist the club win titles, but it was not possible.

“I leave with the happy satisfaction of taking with me many friends from a fantastic dressing room of which I was a part, as well as the bitter taste of not having achieved that.”

A source close to the negotiations told AFP that Saudi Arabia has compiled a list of more than 10 players it hopes to recruit to its league who have won either the Champions League or the World Cup.

Di Maria is on the list, along with players like Luka Modric of Real Madrid and Croatia, Hugo Lloris of Tottenham, and N’Golo Kante of the France national team. All of them are nearing the conclusion of their careers.

Karim Benzema joined his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday by signing with Al-Ittihad. Ronaldo, a five-time world player of the year, went to Al Nassr from Manchester United after the 2018 World Cup.