After suffering the disappointment of a poor league campaign under previous manager David Moyes, new manager Luis Van Gaal has made a statement of intent with the preliminary purchase of Real Madrid Winger Angel Di Maria from the Spanish club. Smashing the previous British transfer record, Di Maria’s acquisition will be a massive boost to a United side which has started the season slowly after Van Gaal’s appointment. African Manchester United fans, such as Nigeria’s Tunde Folawiyo, have watched the transfer situation with interest, hoping that each new signing will push United on to win the title.

Paying £9 million more than Chelsea paid for Fernando Torres in the 2011/2012 season, this remarkable level of investment takes Manchester United’s summer spending up to a massive £132million. After dominating the English game for over two decades, it is this financial statement of intent which will define United as a club ready to compete with England’s other top footballing institutions, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea.

At just 26 years of age, Angel Di Maria could provide both many years of service, and the promise of sell-on value should he decide to join another club in the future. As an integral part of the Real Madrid side, which went on to win the Champions League at the end of the 2013/2014 season, Di Maria has been lauded by his opponents, including the opposing manager Diego Simone who recognised Di Maria’s impact on the game, going on to claim that he was Real Madrid’s best player. This kind of reputation is exactly the reason why Manchester United has spent so much on him – a player to create goals and make space for the rest of the team.

As an Argentinian internationalist, Di Maria has amassed 52 caps for one of the world’s most talented international football teams, although he did miss out on the 2014 World Cup due to an injury. This may be of concern, especially considering the amount of money being offered for him. As of the time of this writing, the signing has not been confirmed yet, as Di Maria will have to go through a rigorous medical evaluation to ensure that there are no underlying issues which could hamper the number of appearances he could make for Manchester United in the future.

The question is, will this signing win the fans around? Many Manchester United supporters from around the world have discussed the transfer policy at their club in great detail. In Africa, United has a wide and varied supporter base, including all demographics. Will the signing of Di Maria engage the ordinary fans? Only time will tell, but success is something which the Manchester United supporters crave, all over the world. The player will have to justify his price tag on the pitch. This is perhaps the most important point, what will happen if he does not? For fans with a business background such as Tunde Folawiyo, whose vast experience and credentials are available on the Tunde Folawiyo Weebly page, spending such an outlay on one player may be a concern for the club’s financial model; however, without such investment it is clear that the team has been going backwards, and if Di Maria is a success, then trophies and increased revenues should follow.

Making such a high-priced purchase is not without its risks, as other clubs have found out the hard way. A player could be injured, or just not reach the playing level expected of them; despite these considerations, if Di Maria does perform the way he has for Real Madrid, Manchester United will be adding a world class superstar to their ranks who will affect their ability to win games positively.