Manchester United and Chelsea have emerged as new candidates to sign PSG forward Edinson Cavani, who is tipped to move to Atletico Madrid.
According to L’Equipe, as relayed by The Sun, Manchester United and Chelsea are on red-alert as Edinson Cavani’s transfer saga takes a new turn. It is believed that the Paris Saint-Germain forward is keen on leaving the club in January, not long after being linked with a move to Atletico Madrid in the summer, by signing a pre-contract agreement.
Cavani’s immediate departure from Paris could pave the way for these two Premier League clubs to sign the forward on a cut-price, especially with his contract at PSG expiring at the end of the campaign. This could also jeopardise Atleti’s pursuit of the Uruguayan, who was identified as a prime target for coach Diego Simeone.
Indeed, the Spanish giants are keen on signing a new forward, following the struggles of Diego Costa. They are, in fact, reportedly interested in signing Borussia Dortmund’s Paco Alcacer this month.
As for Manchester United, they, too, are in imminent need of a new forward. The Red Devils have failed to replace Romelu Lukaku, who has been firing on all cylinders since joining Inter Milan in the summer. In fact, United even failed to sign any replacement for the Belgian.
As a result, OlemGunnar Solskjaer’s team has appeared overreliant on the services of Marcus Rashford, at least in terms of productivity. They were linked with a move for Mario Mandzukic in the summer but a move never really materialised, and the Croatian ended up joining Al-Duhail in Qatar.
Cavani, in that regard, could be an even better alternative. The Uruguayan could significantly boost United;’s attacking unit with his wealth of experience, coupled with the scoring prowess that has made him one of the most feared attackers in world football.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are bracing themselves for the potential exit of Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud. Both the strikers have struggled with a lack of game-time, thanks to the emergence of Tammy Abraham.
Giroud, in particular, is almost destined to depart Stamford Bridge, with his existing contract expiring at the end of the campaign. West Ham have emerged as a potential destination for the Frenchman in recent weeks. And his potential departure from Stamford Bridge could allow Chelsea to make a move on Cavani.
The PSG forward, with his experience, could come in handy for Frank Lampard’s side, who would welcome the arrival of a new, reliable forward that can complement the work of Abraham and Willian in the final third.
However, it’s unlikely Atletico would want to lose the pursuit of Cavani, given how much Simeone wants to add him to his squad. Hence, it will be interesting to see if this ensues an intriguing transfer battle on the PSG forward this January.
