Why Man Utd Could Do a Lot Worse Than Trying to Sign Edinson Cavani on an 18-Month Deal

Manchester United need a new forward before the end of the January transfer window. The club lacks attacking depth, which was clear when Anthony Martial missed eight games through injury in the first half of the season, and is now equally clear that Marcus Rashford has been ruled out.


Until Rashford returns to fitness from a stress fracture, which is expected to be at least six weeks, United will only Martial and raw 18-year-old Mason Greenwood to rely on up front. That is, unless the club dips into the transfer market and gets someone else in now.

FBL-ENG-PR-MAN UTD-NEWCASTLE

Even when Rashford is fit, the squad still needs extra bodies in order to cope with demands and provide enough variety to give manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer options.

The United boss has already confirmed that the club will explore the possibility of short-term deals to provide that extra boost. And one name that has quickly emerged from the rumour mill is veteran Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani.

Cavani is certainly ‘gettable’ this winter and could be a perfect solution for United’s needs should the club make an approach and offer him an initial 18-month contract.

The Uruguayan, who will turn 33 next month, has reached the end of the road in Paris. A string of minor injuries and the greater focus on Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Mauro Icardi have resulted in Cavani becoming a fringe player and he has asked for a transfer.

Edinson Cavani

PSG have already rejected an offer from Atletico Madrid and sporting director Leonardo has expressed doubt as to whether Cavani will still be at Parc des Princes in February.

Atletico obviously didn’t offer enough for PSG to accept but their interest in Cavani, who is out of contract in summer, is certainly reassuring that he still has plenty to give, despite his age.

This is a clinical goalscorer who has scored over 300 club goals in the last decade, even putting up impressive numbers when formerly playing second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic at PSG.

United won’t need Cavani to start every week in the way that Ibrahimovic did during his own time at Old Trafford, but even as a bit-part player at PSG last season he still scored 18 Ligue 1 goals in only 21 appearances. And with Paul Pogba set to return to fitness in February, plus the as yet not quite dead potential signing of Bruno Fernandes, squad creativity should be improved fairly soon.

Paul Pogba

From an off-field and training perspective, having a player with the goalscoring record of Cavani working with Martial, Rashford and Greenwood on a daily basis could be a huge help in their long-term development as finishers if they can add even just a little extra to their games.


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Source : 90min