Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick confirms the departure of striker Edinson Cavani in the summer
Speaking to MUTV before his team’s clash with Crystal Palace, as quoted by the club’s official website, Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick confirmed the news that striker Edinson Cavani would be leaving the side in the summer.
Cavani would go on to play the full 90 minutes against Palace at Selhurst Park, with the game ending 1-0 in favour of the home team. The Uruguayan was not able to snatch any points for his club in what was his final appearance for the Red Devils.
The 35-year-old had joined United as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, with then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signing the player to bolster the attacking ranks. Two years later, the striker is set to depart for free when his contract at Old Trafford runs out in the summer.
Cavani became a crowd favourite almost immediately, with his energy and passion on the pitch making him a likeable figure amongst the United supporters. Despite his age, the player was still willing to run the extra mile for the team, which was appreciated by the fans.
“There will be 10, apart from Edi Cavani”
After a debut campaign that saw his goals help the Manchester side finish second in the Premier League table, the Uruguay international has barely featured this term for the club. Injury issues have prevented Cavani from gaining more minutes on the pitch, with the forward barely able to stay fit.
Ahead of the Palace game, Rangnick confirmed that the striker would no longer be continuing at Old Trafford when his contract runs out. The German said that out of the starting eleven that he put out last night, everyone aside from Cavani would still be playing for the Red Devils next season.
“Out of our starting XI, there will be 10, apart from Edi Cavani, who will still be playing for this club next season.”
Aside from confirming Cavani’s exit from the club, Rangnick has also given a sneak peek into the players that had a future at United beyond the summer. A massive squad rebuild is expected at Old Trafford ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, led by incoming new manager Erik ten Hag.
This means that first-team players such as David de Gea, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Fred, Scott McTominay, and Bruno Fernandes were still very much a part of the club’s plans for the near future. Although only de Gea out of the lot has been impressive this term, the other stars will be relieved to know they stand a chance for redemption next season.
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Cavani’s confirmed exit now means that the Manchester side will need to prioritise a new striker in the transfer window. The Uruguayan’s departure leaves only Cristiano Ronaldo as the sole recognised striker in the squad.
Marcus Rashford is another option, and Anthony Martial’s return from his loan spell at Sevilla gives ten Hag a few choices to consider. It will be interesting to see just how much transfer activity the club will be engaged in, in the coming weeks.
