He arrived as the most expensive player in the history of British football and left Manchester United less than a year later as a £60million flop. Hardly surprising then that Angel Di Maria returns to Old Trafford with a point to prove.

United have made some big mistakes when signing South American players down the years. Think Juan Veron, Anderson, Radamel Falcao and, of course, Kleberson.

But none have turned out to be quite so costly as Di Maria. When he departed for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2015 with a record of just 24 starts and four goals, United took a near £16m hit on their investment.

Angel Di Maria will return to Old Trafford on Tuesday evening with Paris Saint-Germain

The Argentinian spent a solitary season with Manchester United — the 2014-15 campaign

Di Maria had highs and lows in the United shirt, although he generally struggled for form

The Argentine’s success for PSG in the three-and-a-half years since then suggests that United’s faith in him was not totally misplaced. Di Maria had, after all, been signed from Real Madrid in the summer of 2014 having just helped the Spanish club secure a coveted 10th Champions League crown.

Perhaps the root of his problems in Manchester was that he never really wanted to leave Madrid in the first place.

‘My intention was always to stay at Real,’ Di Maria said later, revealing that he almost joined PSG at the time.

‘After winning La Decima, I went to the (2014) World Cup with the hope of receiving the nod from the directors, which never came. Many lies were spoken. They always wanted to attribute a desire to leave the club, but it was not true. I ended up going to United.’

He did score a spectacular goal against Leicester in September, shortly after he joined the club

Di Maria and his family were left shaken after their house in nearby Cheshire was burgled

His career in England actually started quite well. A promising debut against Burnley at Turf Moor – not the easiest place for a South American star to be introduced to the Premier League – was followed by a goal on his first appearance at Old Trafford in a 4-0 win over QPR. Two more followed against Leicester and Everton to make it three goals in five games.

Di Maria’s problems began when manager Louis van Gaal decided to move him away from his preferred position on the wing and into a more central role, either in midfield or up front where a player famed for his dribbling skills would sometimes find himself with his back to goal.

Di Maria’s contribution waned and his consistency fluctuated. The relationship and trust between player and manager began to break down.

‘There were problems with the coach at the time,’ he said recently. ‘But thanks to God, I was able to come to PSG and be myself again.

Manager Louis van Gaal seemed to lose faith in Di Maria over the course of the campaign

‘I’m very happy here and it wasn’t the case over there. It’s more that that they didn’t let me settle properly than I couldn’t settle.

‘I started a game in one position and the next game in another. I scored goals playing in one position then suddenly the next game I was picked to play in a different position. This didn’t help me settle.

‘It’s up to the manager where and how every player should play, but I think every player should be comfortable in that position.

‘I don’t think it was my fault or the fault of my teammates. Every time I was given an opportunity I did all I could, but it didn’t work out as I hoped. So I decided to leave – not only to be happy but to win things.’

Di Maria is dismissed during United’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat against Arsenal

Di Maria’s career at United began to seriously unravel after he was shown a second yellow card for pushing referee Michael Oliver in an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal in March 2015.

His one-match suspension coincided with United beating Tottenham 3-0 at Old Trafford and he didn’t start again for another 10 games in total, returning against Hull on the final day of the season. Di Maria’s last appearance was as disappointing as so many that had preceded it, ending after 23 minutes due to injury.

His problems on the pitch had been exacerbated by events off it. An attempted break-in at the luxury home that Di Maria rented in Prestbury, Cheshire, in the January had left the player and his family traumatised. They were in the house when raiders tried to force their way through the back door using scaffold poles.

‘I started very well,’ he recalled. ‘Then I had problems with people in the club and I started going to the bench. After the robbery at my house, it all just made me want to get out of there as quickly as possible.’

He reacts after being fouled in a game against Burnley as he struggles with the physicality

Shortly after Van Gaal revealed that Di Maria had not joined the club’s pre-season tour to the USA in the summer of 2015, it was confirmed that the player had got his wish and left for PSG in a deal worth £44.3m. At least, United had been able to recoup the majority of the British record transfer fee for a player whose stock was still high in Europe.

It has remained so ever since. Di Maria scored 15 goals in his first season at Parc des Princes, 13 in his second and 14 in the third. Nine more have followed so far this campaign. In Ligue 1 alone, he has eight assists.

If people thought the arrivals of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani would squeeze him out of the picture at PSG, nothing could be further from the truth. Di Maria has prospered in Paris and found the consistency that proved so elusive at United.

When Thomas Tuchel’s side walk out at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, they will be relying on Di Maria to deliver again in the absence of Neymar and Mbappe who miss the Champions League last 16 first leg due to injury.

A player who will celebrate his 31st birthday on Thursday returns to Old Trafford older and wiser for his experience. Di Maria was spared having to face the media on the eve of the game, but his teammate Julian Draxler made it quite clear that he is fired up for the occasion.

‘I was asking him some questions about Manchester United,’ Draxler smiled. ‘I won’t tell you what he said – but he will be ready.’

Di Maria returns to Manchester as one of the more important players in the PSG squad