The Real Madrid legend has lamented the loss of the Argentine midfielder, but lauded his compatriot Javier Hernandez, who scored his first goals as a Blancos player on Saturday
Real Madrid legend Hugo Sanchez has suggested that, unlike Xabi Alonso, Angel Di Maria is an irreplaceable loss for the European champions.
Both midfielders were offloaded in the last couple of weeks of the transfer window - Alonso wanted to leave and was sold for around €10 million to Bayern Munich, while Manchester United's club record bid of €75m was enough to convince the Blancos to cash in on Di Maria.
Sanchez, who played as a striker at the Santiago Bernabeu from 1985 until 1992, hinted that Real Madrid's spiralling debt of over €600m could be to blame for selling two of their best players.
"It's very hard to tell from the outside how Di Maria and Alonso's departures went down within the club," he told AS. The approach can be very contrasting for a coach than for others in more managerial roles.
"If the accounts are not balanced though, it is very difficult to spend, spend and spend without selling. If you spend you will have to sell. It is a maths game and it all depends on the management.
"I guess as a coach Ancelotti would have liked Di Maria and Xabi Alonso to stay. But above all Di Maria, because there are several players who can replace Xabi. Di Maria was one of the best players in the world and was helping Madrid a lot, but the accounts have to be done.
"I don't know if it is true that Di Maria left because he didn't feel valued, but I like good football and he was one of the best footballers in the world."
Despite being critical of selling the Argentine to the English side, Sanchez lauded Madrid's loan signing of Javier Hernandez from United and, following his debut goals for the Blancos on Saturday as a substitute against Deportivo La Coruna, predicts big things for his fellow Mexican this season.
"He's a phenomenon," Sanchez added. "He is very fast, intuitive, he has good movement and shoots well with his left foot, right foot and head.
"He is a striker who intercepts the opponent very well. With goals, trust will come from Ancelotti. When given more time and given chances, hopefully his effectiveness is what is required in Madrid. In this team enough chances are created and that will help Chicharito."
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