According to L’Equipe, as cited by Daily Mail, Manchester United are set to face fresh competition from Atletico Madrid in the pursuit of Edinson Cavani. The Paris Saint-Germain striker has been linked with a move away from Parc des Princes, with Inter Milan, Napoli and Juventus also interested in acquiring his services. That means United will need to make a swift approach if they are to sign Cavani in January. But, is he still a viable target for the Red Devils?
Manchester United’s attacking woes
Failing to sign a replacement for Romelu Lukaku in the summer has haunted Manchester United so far this season. The Premier League giants have struggled to find a reliable goal-scorer, especially with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial suffering from injuries.
As a result, United have only scored nine goals so far – a tally bettered by the likes of Aston Villa and Norwich City. The goals have mainly been shared between Rashford, Martial and new signing Daniel James.
But, the fact that United have scored only nine goals despite creating as many as 83 chances purely highlight the club’s need to sign a new striker in the upcoming January transfer window.
Can Cavani solve United’s offensive problems?
Cavani is regarded as one of the most prolific strikers in world football. Ever since his breakout at Napoli, the Uruguayan international has been scoring goals for fun.
The 32-year-old netted as many as 104 goals in 138 matches during his time at Napoli. He managed to improve that record at PSG, where he has found the back of the net a whopping 195 times, in just 283 competitive outings with the French giants. Hence, Cavani can surely add the finishing touch that has been lacking in the current United setup this season.
Aside from that, Cavani’s physical and aerial prowess would make him a tailor-made fit for the Premier League. Not to mention, his robust style of play would combine well with the pacy figure of Rashford – making United quite threatening in their first line of press.
From a tactical standpoint, Cavani’s aerial prowess would allow Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer to utilise him as a target man. That, in turn, will enable the Norwegian to set himself free from conforming to a two-man offensive setup.
Will Cavani’s age be an issue?
As far as goalscoring is concerned, Cavani’s age is unlikely to be an issue as the striker has continued on the same scoring ratio over the years. However, the Uruguayan has become more susceptible to injuries, just like his compatriot Luis Suarez.
The ex-Napoli star notably missed a chunk of last season due to a hamstring as well as a muscle injury. As a result, he featured in only 1,683 minutes of league football. This season, he has struggled with lack of fitness and has made only three league appearances. Therefore, it’s evident that the forward cannot be used week in week out, especially in the competitive nature of the Premier League.
But, that doesn’t make him a futile target for United as Cavani can significantly improve the club’s precision in front of goal. In the end, it might depend on how much PSG ask for their star striker as an expensive price-tag would likely deter the Red Devils, especially when there are other options around.
