David Luiz hopes Angel Di Maria joins him at Paris St-Germain
Last updated on .From the section European Football
David Luiz "hopes" Angel Di Maria will join him at Paris St-Germain, describing the Manchester United man as "one of the best players in the world".
Di Maria, a £59.7m buy from Real Madrid last summer, has failed to join United's pre-season tour and Louis van Gaal admits he has "no idea" of the whereabouts of the Argentine.
PSG manager Laurent Blanc has said a deal for Di Maria, 27, is close.
Luiz, 28, said: "Every single team he plays in, he makes the difference."
Speaking after PSG beat United 2-0 in a friendly in Chicago, Luiz added: "I hope to see him. He is a great friend, a great player."
Manchester United broke the British transfer record to bring Di Maria to Old Trafford.
But after a promising start to his United career the 27-year-old began to struggle with injury, fatigue and a lack of form.
He also struggled to adapt to a new country and had to contend with an attempted break-in at his Cheshire home.
Luiz played with Di Maria at Benfica between 2007 and 2010 but says he has not spoken with the United winger about a move to the French champions.
"It was great to play with him," added the Brazil defender. "It's great to see how much he has improved, how he has become a fantastic player.
"It would be a pleasure to play with him again."