Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan has launched a bitter attack on Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal for his treatment of Angel di Maria, claiming that the Dutchman has “never been a fan of South American players”.

The Argentine attacking midfielder joined the Old Trafford giants last summer in a stunning British record £59.7m move after shining for Real Madrid and his home nation in the latter months of the 2013/14 campaign.

However, despite the price-tag and the hype surrounding his arrival, Di Maria’s initially promising performances tailed off around the winter period, and he ended the campaign as a bench player under LVG, behind the likes of Ashley Young and Juan Mata.

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The ex-Benfica star has been linked with moves away from the club in recent weeks – PSG are thought to be keen – and Uruguayan marksman Forlan, who scored 17 goals in a poor stint at the Theatre of Dreams, believes that his South American compatriot hasn’t been treated correctly, citing Van Gaal’s use of Juan Roman Riquelme at Barcelona as evidence of his dislike for players from the region:

“I thought he was a superb signing for United because he is one of the best players in the world, but I was slightly surprised, too. Louis van Gaal has never been a fan of South American players, as my good friend Juan Roman Riquelme will tell you from his time under the Dutchman at Barcelona,” he is quoted by Goal.

“Di Maria started out in England like the player we knew he was at Real Madrid in the 2013/14 season. He looked a class above opponents, he ran at defenders, he was a danger around the box and he covered so much ground. Less talented players have felt they were too good to work as hard as him.

“Players are not robots and if there’s something wrong then their coaches need to find out what the problem is. Di Maria is worth the effort. He offers something different from almost every other player.”

Forlan went on to state that United will “regret” losing Di Maria if they sell him:

“United will regret it if he leaves. He should be given another season to prove himself and United should try to understand him better and trust him.

“Great coaches and great players don’t always get on and not every player fits into rigid systems, but Di Maria is worth persisting with.”

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