Dimitar Berbatov has backed Edinson Cavani to join Barcelona and move away from Manchester United amid a lack of playing time.
Edinson Cavani signed a new one-year deal in the summer, which made complete sense since Manchester United were convinced of the striker’s quality despite his advancing age. The Uruguayan scored 17 times across all competitions and helped the Red Devils finish second in the Premier League while also getting to the UEFA Europa League final.
However, in the ongoing campaign, injuries have caught up, with Cavani restricted to only eight appearances across all competitions. Moreover, Cristiano Ronaldo’s return has pushed him down the pecking order, with the Portuguese attacker an automatic starter this season for Manchester United.
Rumours have gathered pace around an imminent exit in the January transfer window as Manchester United look well stacked in attack without Cavani in the squad. Although nothing concrete has been established in those links, a move to Barcelona has been mooted as a possibility.
A move might not happen now that Barcelona have reportedly secured Ferran Torres’s signing from Manchester City. The Spanish international is a much younger option than Cavani as Xavi Hernandez moves away from signing older players.
However, Dimitar Berbatov has suggested a move to Barcelona would make complete sense for Cavani, who finds game time hard to come by at Manchester United. As quoted by talkSPORT, the former Manchester United striker urged Cavani to accept an offer from the Catalan giants if it came his way.
Berbatov said, “Despite a good season last time out, Cavani hasn’t played enough. When someone like Ronaldo comes into the club, he takes all the spotlight, he plays every game, and in the world of football, this happens.”
“It’s not a fair situation because Cavani did so well for the team last season, he earned a new deal, but Ronaldo has taken his place in the team. It’s not fair, but this happens in football. If there’s a chance for Cavani to leave the club, if there is an offer from Barcelona, then, of course, he will be thinking about taking it to get more football.”
“Barcelona needs a striker, and it all depends on what Xavi wants from his team and how he is going to play, but if they are short on power upfront. I can see Cavani going there, not playing every single game, but he will be a solid addition and will provide goals because that’s what he does wherever he goes.”
If recent reports are to be believed, Barcelona’s interest in Cavani has cooled. At the same time, it has been claimed that Manchester United would like to keep hold of the Uruguayan forward till the end of the season. So, it remains to be seen if Cavani leaves Manchester United midway through the season to join Barcelona.
