Di Maria keen to remain at PSG

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Paris Saint-Germain forward Angel Di Maria

Angel Di Maria insists he wants to stay at Paris Saint-Germain despite admitting to difficulties working with Unai Emery last season.

The Argentina international played 43 times in all competitions in 2016-17 but struggled for form in the early half of the campaign in particular, scoring just once in his first 19 Ligue 1 appearances.

Di Maria has been linked with Inter during recent weeks, despite the Serie A club’s sporting director, Piero Ausilio, suggesting that his wage demands would be too high.

But the 29-year-old has no desire to leave Parc des Princes and believes he has become accustomed to the demands of his head coach in the last few months.

‘For me, there’s no doubt about it. I want to stay,’ he told Le Parisien. ‘But, for the club, I don’t know. The reality is that my family are well and I’m happy in Paris.

‘I know that not everything went well last season. At first, I didn’t quite understand what the coach was asking me. Then we gradually got to know each other and I think people have seen the change in the last few months. I hope I can reproduce that this year.’

PSG claimed a double of Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue trophies in Emery’s first season, but they lost their league title to Monaco and suffered a Champions League exit against Barcelona after a 6-1 hammering in the last-16 second leg.

Di Maria says regaining their domestic crown and battling to reach the final in Europe’s top competition are their primary goals for next term.

‘Like every other year: win everything,’ he said when asked about PSG’s objectives. ‘Last season, we won both cups but we lost the championship and we were knocked out of the Champions League.

‘This year, we’ll try to go as far as possible in the Champions League and maybe reach the final. Then we have to win back the title and to defend the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue.’

Di Maria hopes that Dani Alves, who joined on a free transfer after leaving Juventus, can take PSG a step closer to their first Champions League triumph.

‘I’ve only played against him. But I’m happy with his signing as he is a player with huge qualities, who will bring something extra to the team and allow us to improve further,’ he added.

– This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za