Making sense of Man Utd's late move for Edinson Cavani
Edinson Cavani was reportedly so keen to join Manchester United he asked whether a deal would be done in time to face Tottenham on Sunday. He will be relieved he couldn't after watching events unfold at Old Trafford yesterday evening and few would have even blamed him if he jumped straight back on his private jet and left.
However, he is officially now a Manchester United player. Their new No.7. Not the No.7 United fans were expecting at the start of the summer. After months of frustration, failing to make headway in talks for key targets, the Red Devils find themselves in familiar territory. Just as United did in the dying embers of the last transfer window, they have signed a striker the wrong side of 30.
Clearly a better alternative than Odion Ighalo, who has really regressed post-lockdown, the fact United have ended up with the 33-year-old again raises serious questions about the club's chief decision makers. With Ighalo set to return to China in January, United are replacing a short-term fix with another.
This market is clearly difficult for everyone but why have they left it until deadline day to pull the trigger? Cavani has been a free agent since July. He actually left Paris Saint-Germain before their season had finished. This is a deal they could have sorted nearly three months ago. United's didn't even flich when Cavani was in talks to join Benfica and then Atletico Madrid. It reeks of poor planning. United have panicked. Or have they?
Finding long-term competition for Anthony Martial has proved problematic for United since missing out on Erling Haaland to Borussia Dortmund at the end of last year. Many have questioned whether Martial is even fit to serve as United's first-choice No.9. They haven't identified a suitable alternative since then and signing Cavani on a short-term deal is better than no one at all. Chelsea did similar when signing his former PSG team-mate Thiago Silva at the end of August. United supporters aren't dismissive of Cavani's career but it's also fair for them to question how they've got into this situation in the first place.
Cavani arrives as PSG's record scorer. He netted 200 times during his seven-year spell in Paris and was a club legend by the time he left. Cavani's name used to ring round Parc des Princes even when he wasn't on the pitch. United reaped the benefits from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's presence at Old Trafford after he left PSG and are now banking on Cavani making a similar impact. Ibrahimovic was 12 months older than Cavani is now when he first signed for United but what does El Matador have left in the tank?
Cavani's last season at PSG was bitterly disappointing. He dropped completely out of favour under Thomas Tuchel and was limited to just seven starts from a possible 27 by the time Ligue 1 was curtailed. Though he still had an eye for goal. Cavani managed four goals, one every 150.5 minutes of playing time and a return of 4.2 shots per 90 ranked fourth of all players in Ligue 1 (10+ appearances). Compared to Ibrahimovic, however, who touched down at United off the back of his best ever goal return in a single league campaign (38 in 31 games). While Ibrahimovic joined with his reputation at its peak, Cavani's stock is arguably at its lowest.
Remarkably, Cavani's only ever previous encounter with United in his career came recently. The Uruguay international came on as a 95th-minute substitute in PSG's stunning 3-1 home defeat to United in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2019. His record against English opposition beyond that is generally underwhelming. Cavani has only managed eight goals in 18 appearances against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Now the international break is upon us, United supporters will have to wait a little while longer to get a glimpse of Cavani. Now is as good a time as he will get to improve his fitness and he will be required right away now Martial is suspended. Cavani is set to make his United debut away to Newcastle, who coincidentally wanted him right at the start of the summer. Their prospective new owners earmarked Cavani as one of several high profile targets before talks to buy the club collapsed.
It is reported the prospect of joining United became even more appealing for Cavani after they drew his former club PSG in the Champions League group stage. Seething from the manner of his departure last season, Cavani won't have to wait long to sink his teeth into his old club, with United due to face them in Paris three days after their trip to Newcastle. Cavani needs no more motivation to whip his body into shape than that.
As for United, perhaps it's best not to get too bogged down by another lamentable window, but look forward to seeing one of Europe's best strikers of the last decade try something new. After all, if Cavani does prove another Angel di Maria or Alexis Sanchez, United can at least say goodbye after a year. At least they have learned from that, if nothing at all.
