Paul Scholes acknowledges Angel Di Maria's first season in the Premier League has been a "disappointment", but insists Manchester United should keep faith with him.
The Argentine joined from Real Madrid last summer for a British-record fee of €83.4 million, scoring three goals and assisting a further six in his first 10 games, but failed to score again in the league all season.
Scholes has sympathy for Di Maria amid reports of struggles to settle into life in England, but feels United cannot afford to sell a player of his ability after securing a return to the Champions League after a year out.
"A good start but, for €83.4m, the hope was that he would give United much more," he wrote in The Independent.
"I accept he has had problems off the pitch settling into life in Manchester, but there is no way he can see the season as anything other than a disappointment.
"This was, after all, the best player in last season's Champions League final.
"Nevertheless, the quality is there and I don't think United can afford to lose him. They need that kind of player if they are to compete in the Champions League. Let's see what next season brings.
