Angel Di Maria has revealed that he turned down offers from Saudi Arabia, opting to join Portuguese giants Benfica.
Di Maria re-signed for the Águias on July 5, 2023, joining the club on a free transfer, following the expiration of his deal with Juventus.
Angel Di Maria has had an incredible impact in his early games in his second stint with the club, scoring 4 goals and providing 1 assist in 5 appearances.
Speaking in a recent interview, the ex-Real Madrid man expressed how he only had his sights fixated on Benfica.
He said: “Saudi? No, Benfica for any salary. They called me from Saudi Arabia, yes, I received many calls from them… no way”.
Di Maria also revealed that Saudi Arabian clubs were offering him massive bucks, but he instead chose his “heart”.
The 35-year-old said: “The numbers Saudis are offering are crazy, but I chose with my heart, I wanted to rejoin Benfica”.
Angel Di Maria has played for many big clubs in Europe, and in the biggest leagues in the European continent.
He has donned the colors of great clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint Germain, and Juventus.
His one-year stint at Juventus saw him make 40 appearances for the Old Lady, scoring 8 goals and providing 7 assists.
Before joining the Bianconeri, Di Maria spent seven years at Paris Saint Germain, scoring 93 goals and providing 119 assists in 295 appearances.
Rui Costa on Angel Di Maria’s willingness to join the club
Meanwhile, in confirming the statements made by the Argentine, Benfica president Rui Costa also revealed Angel Di Maria’s willingness to join the club.
The Portuguese said: “Di María’s salary doesn’t go over the salary cap, he came without any signing bonus.
“He didn’t want to know what his salary would be, he didn’t even ask for another euro.”
Rui Costa added that Di Maria made it clear to him that he would play for Benfica, irrespective of the salary offered.
Benfica president: “He told me: ‘I really want to play for Benfica for any euro you’ll give me.”
Angel Di Maria joined the Portuguese side from Rosario Central on July 27, 2007, in what was his first stint at the club, and his first European club.
Angel Di Maria first stint at Benfica
He made 121 appearances for Benfica during his first spell, scoring 15 goals and providing 29 assists in all competitions.
The Argentine was brilliant in his first stint at the Estádio da Luz, and that caught the eye of Real Madrid, who signed him on July 1, 2010, for a fee of €33 million.
Di Maria has had a successful career, winning several trophies, including; 1 UEFA Champions League title, 7 League titles, and one UEFA Super Cup.
Internationally, the 35-year-old has also enjoyed a successful career, winning several trophies at junior and senior level.
Angel Di Maria won the FIFA U-20 World Cup with Argentina in 2007, before winning a Gold medal in football at the 2008 Olympic Games.
In 2021, he was instrumental in La Albiceleste winning the 2021 Copa America, and in 2022, he played an integral role in helping Lionel Scaloni’s side achieve glory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
