Thiago Silva says Angel Di Maria will be taking a step up when he leaves Manchester United for Paris Saint-Germain.
Di Maria arrived in Qatar on Monday for his medical ahead of his proposed move after PSG reportedly agreed a fee of £44.3 million to bring the Argentina winger over from Old Trafford.
The Associated Press reported that Di Maria accepted a four-year deal to join the French champions.
The former Real Madrid player, 27, was the most expensive signing in the history of British football.
Silva said the Ligue 1 champions only trail Real Madrid and Barcelona among Europe's elite clubs, adding that Di Maria's transfer is evidence of PSG's growth.
"People now respect PSG as one of the big clubs in Europe," Silva said during a news conference. "Real Madrid and Barcelona are probably at another level, but after that if you sign for PSG you are probably taking a step up."
PSG knocked out Chelsea on their way to the Champions League semifinals last season, a fact not lost on Silva.
"We went further than any English clubs in Europe last year," he added.
United paid £59.7m for Di Maria in August last year but the man of the match in the 2014 Champions League final endured a difficult season at Old Trafford.
He failed to score a league goal after October, lost his place following his sending off against Arsenal in the FA Cup in March and only began one of United's final 10 matches of a campaign in which he also struggled with injury.