Barcelona are reportedly interested in singing Edinson Cavani from Manchester United, joining Real Madrid in his pursuit.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Real Madrid are no longer alone in the race to sign Edinson Cavani from Manchester United in the January transfer window. The veteran striker is also being courted by Barcelona, who wish to secure his services this winter.
Edinson Cavani arrived at Manchester United as a free agent following a tame end to his glittering stint with Paris Saint-Germain. However, despite his advancing age, the 34-year-old has proven to be a shrewd acquisition by the Red Devils, with the Uruguayan international chipping in with some vital contributions in his short spell at Old Trafford.
To date, Cavani has raked in a fine tally of 17 goals and six assists in 43 appearances for Manchester United. However, his role has reduced since the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, with the veteran striker now a rotation option for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Such a situation has captured the attention of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The interest from Real Madrid is understandable, considering the dependency on Karim Benzema has only increased with every passing season since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. It has been more of the same early in the 2021/22 season, with the Frenchman only receiving support from Vinicius Jr. on a consistent basis.
With Benzema not getting any younger, Real Madrid could well do with another prolific striker alongside him, making Cavani a viable target. However, Los Blancos are now facing stiff competition from bitter rivals Barcelona in pursuit of the Manchester United striker.
Barcelona were also linked with a deadline day move for Cavani in the summer transfer window before they turned their attention towards Luuk de Jong instead. However, the Dutch striker has been termed as a flop already while Sergio Aguero’s fitness woes have resurfaced at Camp Nou. So, it is not too surprising that Barcelona are considering a move for someone like Cavani.
With Martin Braithwaite a long-term absentee, getting in a striker like Cavani would definitely be a step in the right direction. However, there have been suggestions that the Manchester United striker is open to joining Real Madrid. With that in mind, it remains to be seen if Barcelona can beat Real Madrid to his signature and whether Manchester United can keep hold of him.