Angel Di Maria would be a great signing for Juventus who can emulate former Real Madrid team-mates Karim Benzema and Luka Modric by playing at an elite level in his mid-30s.
That is the view of Iker Casillas, who played with Di Maria when Madrid won their 10th UEFA Champions League title in 2013-14.
Casillas feels that the Argentine will be keen to play regularly so the Bianconeri can secure his place in the fourth World Cup later this year.
Di Maria is leaving Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after a seven-year stay at Ligue 1, and is expected to join Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus in the coming days.
The 34-year-old’s agent revealed this week that only “final details” of his contract in Turin remain unclear, and Casillas believes his former team-mate will prosper in Italy.
“Di Maria is a very good move,” the 2010 World Cup winner told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.
“Angel and [Federico] Chiesa, [Dusan] Vlahovic and [Paul] Pogba … what a great team! And you will want to be well prepared for the World Cup.
“She is a very careful person and always takes care of herself physically. She has never been seriously injured. I think she is in good health.
“Here in Europe he has been playing at a high level in the big leagues and Di Maria will give Juve a new lease on life.
“There is a World Cup in November and it is clear he wants the team he will play for regularly and properly prepared to face the challenge in Qatar.
“Even at the age of 34, he is a great player. Age is only calculated now, jobs have survived.
“Apart from reaching the age of 44 of my friend [Gianluigi] Buffon, there are other examples of over 30 players who are doing very well and playing at full level. You have to think about Benzema and Modric.”
Di Maria has won six trophies over a four-year spell with Madrid, ending in a stellar performance in Los Blancos’ final Champions League final against Atletico Madrid in 2014.
Recalling Di Maria’s performance as a midfielder in that 2014 match, Casillas said her team-based collaboration could be a great help to Juve.
“Juventus is betting on a player who can do a lot of things in different stadiums,” he added.
“When we won‘ Decima ’, [Carlo] Ancelotti changed his place in the middle of the season and played very well.
“He can play forward and in the middle of the pitch, he is a smart man who knows the ball well. Angel has amazing shorts and he can decide for himself the games on his own.”