One of my personal favourite players. I first saw him play for Argentina during the Olympic games in 2008 and he looked like he had the potential to become a world star. He scored the winning goal in the final against Nigeria with a superb chip and impressed throughout.
His form for Benfica this past season (10 goals, 18 assists) has been excellent and it's no surprise he's been a transfer target for many clubs, with Real Madrid confirming his signing a few days ago.
He loves to dribble at defenders and has a quick change of direction, lightning pace and an excellent variety of crossing. His technique is exquisite and this video shows several examples of well-executed rabonas, chips and outside-of-the-boot passes.
It'll be interesting to see where he fits in at Real next season, they've largely played a diamond 4-4-2 this season and di Maria could play as the left-central midfielder (where Marcelo has mostly played), providing attacking width and tucking in when the opposition has possession.
Again, apologies for the low quality of some of the clips.
Song: Watch the Sunrise by Axwell
