Varun Pai
Transfer News: Manchester United ready to let Edinson Cavani join Barcelona in January
According to transfer news on Sport (h/t The Express), Manchester United are willing to let Edinson Cavani leave in January amidst interest from Barcelona, and have informed the striker that he is free to depart Old Trafford in the near future.
The star striker was signed from PSG last summer and proved pivotal in our road to the UEFA Europa League final. However, the summer additions of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho have seen the Uruguayan international struggle for game-time.
The 34-year-old did look comfortable alongside the Portuguese star before suffering an injury. But it looks like Cavani may not be playing a lot more games in the famous red jersey, as Xavi’s Barcelona are plotting a move for him in January.
The Catalan giants would ideally want to sign Ferran Torres from Man City but view the Man United ace as a cheaper alternative since his contract is set to expire in the summer. The Red Devils are also willing to let the striker leave but are likely to replace him only in the summer.
The Nou Camp outfit are worried about his injury issues but are on the hunt for a striker, with Sergio Aguero announcing his retirement earlier today.
Can we afford to let Cavani leave?
The former PSG and Napoli forward has been incredible for us whenever called upon. His professionalism and work rate are commendable, especially for somebody that will turn 35 in February. His debut season was one to remember as he was particularly important as an impact sub.
He can lead the line by himself and can also complement Ronaldo in a strike partnership. This aspect of his play could allow Ralf Rangnick to experiment with different systems until his reign as interim manager. Moreover, we are still on the hunt for a Top 4 spot and remain very capable of hurting most teams in the Champions League.
Thus, it is curious why the Old Trafford outfit would let such a potent centre-forward leave the club mid-season. Getting him off the wage bill is a good prospect while we may also get ourselves a fee in the winter rather than losing him on a free in the summer. But one would wonder whether we can benefit more from keeping him for the next six months.
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Rangnick has been at the club for less than 3 weeks and still needs to evaluate the squad in totality. Few can do the same things as the South American star, and unless we plan on adding an attacker to our ranks in the winter transfer window, letting Cavani leave could prove to be a crucial mistake by the end of the season.
He has made a reputation for himself as a deadly striker. You cannot lead the line for clubs like Palermo, Napoli, Uruguay, PSG, and Man United if you aren’t good at what you do. Such experience cannot be found in the likes of Marcus Rashford or Mason Greenwood. It would certainly be smart from our end if we manage to keep him until the summer.
