Specialist employment and IP lawyers from Mills & Reeve’s sports law team worked alongside Di Maria’s Spanish lawyers from Laffer Abogados to finalise the 26-year-old winger’s five-year-contract, which was officially signed on Tuesday.
Di Maria is the sixth most expensive global signing in history, capped only by transfers to Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. Real signed Gareth Bale for £85 million, Cristiano Ronaldo for £80 million and James Rodriguez for £63 million, while Barcelona paid £75 million for Luis Suarez and £71 million for Neymar.
Andrew Macdonald, Mills & Reeve senior solicitor who advised on the Di Maria contract, said: “As with many of these deals it was all completed relatively quickly once the player arrived for his medical and sat down to finalise the contract. Clearly we were delighted to be involved in what is currently a record deal for a British club.”
Associate Richard Plaistowe, an IP expert, advised on image rights, which formed a significant part of the deal given the respective high profiles of the player and the club.
The Mills & Reeve sports law team has advised clients across a wide range of sports for more than 50 years, building up valuable experience and a leading reputation. Football club clients include Manchester City, Norwich City and Birmingham City. The team also works with a range of leading sports organisations, including The Professional Footballers’ Association and The Scottish Professional Footballers’ Association.