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LONDON, 19 October – Marcus Rashford insists Edinson Cavani will be a valuable addition to Manchester United after the veteran Uruguayan striker traded his life on the farm for the Old Trafford spotlight.
Cavani signed a two-year contract worth £ 210,000 per week (RM1.12 million) on the day of the transfer deadline and could make his debut in United’s Champions League group opener against his former club Paris Saint Germain tomorrow.
The 33-year-old missed Saturday’s 4-1 win at Newcastle, United’s first game since signing, after being quarantined for 14 days after arriving in England.
But Cavani is expected to be available to join Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team in time for an exciting trip to Paris.
“I am going to live an exceptional moment that no one thought would happen. It will be incredible, beautiful emotions, ”Cavani told TF1 recently.
Cavani scored 200 goals in seven years with PSG, but left the Ligue 1 champions in June and missed the race to the Champions League final.
His age and recent inaction (he has not played since PSG’s Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund in March) led some United fans to label Cavani a panic buy after they failed to sign. Borussia Dortmund striker Jadon Sancho.
Cavani spent the last few months shearing sheep on his farm in Uruguay and indulging in his unlikely passion for ballet, even appearing in an advertisement for a Montevideo dance school.
But, while enjoying his quiet life away from football and could have easily retired, Cavani’s love affair with the game was strong enough to persuade him to accept a new challenge with United, regardless of what the critics say.
“I had many different opportunities, I was excited to play in the Premier League and even more so for Manchester United,” said Cavani.
“I am very motivated because I always want to play as much as possible, work, train and give my best.”
‘Massive player’
Cavani and his girlfriend contracted Covid-19 more than a month ago after a vacation in Ibiza, but he is recovered and ready to add his experience and predatory instincts to a young United team in need of guidance.
While their free-goal win at Newcastle suggested United have enough offensive talent already, the truth is that Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Daniel James are still relatively raw, capable of excellence and staggering inconsistency in equal measure.
Rashford hopes Cavani can emulate the impact of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who joined the club in 2016 after leaving PSG as a free agent.
Ibrahimovic, who was also 30 during his time at Old Trafford, scored four goals in his first five United appearances and finished with 28 in his debut season as his talismanic presence took the pressure off his teammates.
“As a front line, it’s something to look forward to,” Rashford told Sky Sports.
“Hopefully he comes in and scores goals, because he can definitely help us win games and points. He can be a huge player for us this season.
“To win two or three trophies in a season you need a squad, it’s not possible if you don’t have people who can score goals one week and the next.
“Growing up, United always had four or five forwards who could score goals at any time. The closer we get to that, the more strength we will have. “- Bernama
