In 2014, Louis van Gaal made history as Manchester United's first manager from outside of the British Isles.

The Netherlands coach endured a difficult spell in Manchester, and he was left to pick up the pieces after David Moyes' exit. The perfect ending did occur for the former boss, as he lifted the FA Cup on his final game at the club.

That said, he was handed the best chance at success with the club backing the experienced boss in the transfer market, with Angel Di Maria being the main signing of his two-season spell at the club.

However, the Argentine was sold by Van Gaal just one year after his British transfer record arrival of £60m, in what was a 12 months to forget for everyone involved with the Red Devils.

How it went wrong for Di Maria at United

The World Cup winner's only season in the Premier League wasn't a complete disaster, and in his first five matches, the attacker had picked up four assists and scored three goals, almost instantly justifying his hefty price tag.

Over his 32-game United career, Di Maria provided 12 assists and scored four goals, which averages out to a goal contribution every two games. That certainly wasn't the form of a player that had to be sold as a matter of urgency.

However, his form did fall off slightly in the second half of the campaign, with issues off the field impacting his performances on it. The left-footed whizz experienced his house being broken into, while his relationship with Van Gaal completely broke down at the same time, with Di Maria recently calling his former boss "the worst manager of his career."

Van Gaal ultimately sold the magician at the end of the season, as he moved to Paris Saint-Germain for just over £43m, where he has gone on to be "the most underrated player of his generation" – in the words of journalist Roy Nemer.

Di Maria's career after Man United

Di Maria's start to life in France got off to an absolute flyer, as he contributed to more goals than he had started games in Ligue 1. During his first campaign, the winger hit ten goals and made 18 assists, and over his entire seven-year PSG spell, he had a goal contribution record of 212.

After leaving the French club, Di Maria had a spell in Italy with Juventus, but his time at the club will be remembered for his goal in the World Cup final against France, which helped his nation lift the trophy.

Man United

32

4

12

PSG

295

93

119

Juventus

40

8

7

Benfica

155

28

36

Benfica is where he calls home in 2024, as the 5 foot 10 veteran returned to the club 13 years after leaving for Real Madrid. The "unplayable" star, as per Nemer, has shown no signs of slowing down despite being 36 years old, even outperforming Man United's Argentine wonderkid, Alejandro Garnacho.

The 19-year-old gem has been immense this season, scoring the joint-second-most goals for United in the Premier League this season while also having the second-most key passes, successful dribbles, and assists. Despite impressing, he still hasn't reached the heights of Di Maria, who has 21 goal contributions this season compared to Garnacho's nine.

It is always interesting to think about what Di Maria's career would have looked like if he had never been sold, and it is scary to think how much Garnacho would have learned from his Argentina teammate, especially considering he is now operating on the right wing, just like the Benfica star.