Man United, despite all their struggles, are blessed with a plethora of talented attackers. Cristiano Ronaldo is, undoubtedly, the best of the bunch, but the likes of Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani, and even Anthony Martial—on his day—can be crucial for the club.
However, one of those aforementioned forwards is said to be eyeing an Old Trafford exit this summer. That man is Cavani, with the Uruguayan icon keen on leaving once his contract runs out in June.
The 34-year-old joined the Red Devils from PSG in 2020 in a move which was not initially celebrated. However, once the talented South American striker settled in at the Theatre of Dreams, he turned out to be a pivotal player, scoring 17 goals in 39 appearances in 2020/21 and helping the club finish as runners-up in the Premier League and the Europa League.
The Uruguayan signed a one-year extension over the summer but has no intentions of continuing his Man United stay. According to the Times, this is mainly down to one reason: his desire to play in La Liga before officially retiring.
The report claims that Cavani feels he can compete at the top level for another two years and thus wishes to fulfill his dream of kicking a ball in the Spanish top-flight. Barcelona are the club being linked with the player, with the striker reportedly being keen on teaming up with Xavi at the Camp Nou.
It's not hard to see where these rumors are coming from. The Blaugrana, despite their stature in the game, are currently in the midst of a financial crisis and thus do not boast the funds to sign an Erling Haaland. Last summer, the Catalan giants targeted free transfers and could continue down this path next summer.
Luke de Jong, who was brought in from Sevilla by previous manager Ronald Koeman, appears to have no future at the club under Xavi. Meanwhile, Sergio Aguero's unfortunate heart condition could force the Argentine legend to retire from the game prematurely, meaning a new striker is needed at the Camp Nou.
Will Cavani be that man or will Joan Laporta raise enough funds to pursue a marquee signing for the no.9 role? Only time will tell. However, what is known is that Edinson is currently injured and will thus miss the club's upcoming Premier League showdown with Arsenal. However, the former PSG forward has resumed individual training, which is a positive.
