Edinson Cavani seems to be moving closer to the exit door at Old Trafford. The Uruguayan striker is tempted to join FC Barcelona in the winter transfer window, which kicks off on Jan. 1.
Sergio Aguero’s retirement means Barcelona now has enough funds to afford a new signing. Cavani is unhappy with the game time he’s currently getting at Manchester United and believes a move to the Spanish La Liga makes total sense. The 34-year-old is likely to sign a contract until June 30, 2023 with Barcelona.
Cavani hasn’t featured for United since Nov. 2 when he played against Atalanta in the Champions League. His only goal of the campaign came at the end of October when he netted in the 3-0 beating of Tottenham Hotspur. TyC Sports in Argentina reports Cavani also has an offer from Boca Juniors on the table, but will turn it down so he can seal a move to Barcelona. Juventus and Corinthians were also rumored to have an interest in him.
Barcelona are ready to pay big
Overall, Cavani played eight games for Manchester United this season. He has just six months left in his contract with United, having joined from PSG on a free transfer in 2020. According to Catalan journalist Gerard Romero, Barcelona is offering him $4 million plus bonuses worth around $1.2 million until June 2022. The money will go up in his full season at Camp Nou.
Barcelona is only eighth in La Liga, 18 points behind arch-rivals Real Madrid, who top the table. The Blaugrana are also out of the Champions League after the group stage, dropping into the Europa League playoff to battle Napoli for a seat in the competition’s Round of 16.
Cavani played for Danubio in his home country, then moved to Palermo, Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United. For the Uruguayan national team, he netted 53 times in 126 games. Cavani is a six-time French Ligue 1 winner with PSG, also conquering the national cups in Italy and France. He played the final of the Champions League in 2020 with PSG, and the final of the Europa League with United in 2021, losing them both. Cavani won Copa America with Uruguay in 2011.
The bookies have Cavani at -200 to join Barcelona next month, with Juventus, AS Roma, Boca Juniors, New York City FC, and Newcastle all tied at +1400.