Angel Di Maria is on course to overtake Safet Susic's record of 103 assists for Paris Saint-Germain - a landmark the Argentine winger is well aware of.
Since the turn of the century, only Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has tallied more assists across Europe's five major league per UEFA coefficient, with 308 goals laid on to his compatriot's 256 - a relative minority of which were in previous stints at Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Di Maria has contributed 99 assists for PSG since arriving in the French capital from Manchester in 2015. This season he has teed up 12 goals at a rate of one every 173 minutes. With at least 10 games left to play 2021-21, he is on course to end the campaign with 104, one more than Susic managed in his nine years at the club between 1982 and 1991.
"I've been anxious in the last games to reach 100 assists," Di Maria said recently after extending his contract at the Parc des Princes until 2022. "It's something very important to me and to then reach 103 and surpassing [Susic] and reaching 104.
"It would be something important because it would remain in the history of the club and would be marked forever until someone is able to pass me. Now I'm playing with Ney[mar], with Kylian [Mbappé], players who are making history at the club and I want to continue to make history too."
Di Maria - and indeed Messi - have been given a welcome break with Argentina's FIFA World Cup qualifier against Brazil postponed. The PSG man will next be in action on 3 April, when the champions take on closest pursuers LOSC - a team Di Maria has two career assists against.
All time PSG assist-makers
1. Safet Susic - 103
2. Angel Di Maria - 99
3. Mustapha Dahleb - 80
4. Javier Pastore - 56
5. Kylian Mbappé - 54
