Manchester United have reportedly identified Juventus star Paulo Dybala as a potential long-term replacement for veteran striker Edinson Cavani.
Speaking on the Transfer Window Podcast, as reported by the Express, transfer expert Ian McGarry has claimed that Manchester United are looking at Juventus attacker Paulo Dybala as a candidate to replace Edinson Cavani in the long run.
Cavani, 33, joined Manchester United only this past summer, on a free transfer after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain had expired. Since arriving, the Uruguayan international has made quite the impression, scoring several important goals for the Red Devils.
While he may have impressed, it must still be noted that Cavani will turn 34 next month and his contract also expires at the end of the season, although Manchester United do retain the option of extending it by another twelve months. So, putting in place a long-term succession plan is a sensible move on the part of the club.
To that end, the 20-time English champions have seemingly narrowed down on Paulo Dybala as the man to take over from his fellow South American, claims McGarry. The 27-year-old has been with Juventus since 2015, having signed from Palermo and has grown into one of the top attackers in Europe.
However, the Argentine international has struggled for game time under new manager Andrea Pirlo this season. Indeed, Dybala has started just five of Juventus’ 13 Serie A games this season, scoring one goal. In addition, he featured just twice from kick-off in the Champions League.
This had led to speculations surrounding his future, more so considering that his contract with the Bianconeri runs out in eighteen months. In fact, the Argentine has been linked with Manchester United in a potential swap deal that would see Paul Pogba the other way.
McGarry has now insisted that while Juventus have put forward a new contract, Manchester United will push to sign Dybala up in the summer if the negotiations do not go according to plans.
“He has been offered €11.5million gross for an extension of three years to his current deal. We know there have been conversations, negotiations, with Manchester United and Spurs over the last year to 18 months regarding a potential transfer of Dybala to the Premier League.”
“Those discussions will certainly be continued should he turn down this final offer from Juve to extend his contract. It’s also our understanding that United see Dybala as a long-term solution to what has been a short-term solution in Edinson Cavani, in terms of his age,” McGarry said.
While not exactly a like-for-like replacement for Cavani, Dybala’s proven quality at the highest level and his age would make him a top-notch signing for Manchester United. It, however, remains to be seen if the Red Devils pursue a move for the 27-year-old in the summer.
