Edinson Cavani ‘picks next destination’ after leaving Man Utd behind on free transfer
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Edinson Cavani has decided he wants to play in La Liga following his Manchester United exit, according to reports. The Uruguay international spent two years at Old Trafford, struggling for consistency during that spell. And he’s currently a free agent, with the Red Devils releasing him at the beginning of the month.
Cavani was good in his first season at United, scoring 17 goals across all competitions with only Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford managing more.
But the Uruguay international toiled following the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, netting just two Premier League goals.
United confirmed the departure of Cavani at the beginning of the month, weeks after Ralf Rangnick had claimed he was heading for the exit door.
And, now, Mundo Deportivo say the 35-year-old has decided he wants to play in Spain.
Atletico Madrid have long been linked with Cavani and, according to the publication, have missed out on the striker twice in the past.
They were lurking in 2018, when Cavani was strutting his stuff for Paris Saint-Germain.
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But he ended up staying at the Parc des Princes instead, spending two more years there and becoming the Ligue 1 giants’ all-time leading goalscorer.
Atletico were also interested in landing Cavani in 2020, too, before United swooped in instead.
At the moment, however, Diego Simeone’s team don’t appear to be interested.
And with that being the case, Cavani is willing to look at other teams – as long as they’re in Spain.
Atletico would be willing to reconsider their current stance – providing the conditions are right.
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But Cavani’s recent injuries, coupled with his dwindling goalscoring chats, makes a transfer difficult to broker.
The former United star wants to play at a high level to ensure he can represent Uruguay at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
And where he ultimately ends up remains to be seen.
United are on the hunt for a replacement for Cavani – but won’t be landing his compatriot, Darwin Nunez.
Nunez had been in their sights but United, ultimately, deemed Benfica’s asking price to be too high.
And the Uruguayan has instead opted to join Liverpool, where he’ll likely slot in alongside Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz in attack.
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And the Uruguayan has instead opted to join Liverpool, where he’ll likely slot in alongside Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz in attack.
Meanwhile, regarding Cavani, the veteran admitted last month that he wouldn’t have stayed at United if he knew Ronaldo was going to come back.
“At the moment it was done, I thought it was a good thing for Manchester to sign Cristiano,” he said.
“Knowing a bit about the world of football these days, the first thing I did was call my [brother and manager Walter Fernando Guglielmone] and said: ‘Fernando, if this had happened a week ago, I would ask you to find me another club.’
“But not because I didn’t want to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. No.
“Because I had the opportunity to know him, and he is a great professional, with his targets, and that is perfect for a sportsman.
“But as I know, after years in football, how things work these days. That’s why I spoke to my brother.
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“It was more about understanding the situation. Not because I couldn’t play in my role at Manchester, but because there are many things in football nowadays that are different from how they were with other people, how it was before, years ago.
“And since it happened suddenly, I felt nothing. I thought: We’ll play, do the best we can.
“Regardless of my injuries at the club, which kept me out of the season for a bit… I experienced difficult situations, different from the ones I faced last year.
“And after a few months, I called my brother again and said, ‘Remember what you said at the start of the season?’ Before the season started. There are no secrets in football.
“For me, it’s very clear how it works, and I have a way to see football that nobody takes away from me.”
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