Edinson Cavani's 'proud' message amid Boca Juniors links

Edinson Cavani has made clear his respect and appreciation for Manchester United, following revelations from his father that the striker wants to be closer to his family in South America and is interested joining Argentine giants Boca Juniors this summer.

Rumours linking Cavani with a switch to Boca emerged in Argentina earlier this week, although a subsequent report in the country also quashed the speculation.

However, Cavani’s father, Luis, has put a move firmly on the table by declaring that his son ‘does not feel comfortable’ in England and would prefer to return to South America to join Boca.

Cavani Sr. also claimed the player has always had a soft spot for Boca and has been in close contact with vice president and club legend Juan Roman Riquelme, which tied in with what was said in the initial reports that suggested a move to La Bombonera was a possibility.

Luis Cavani even put a number on it, suggesting there is a 60% chance of his son heading back to South America and leaving United after just one season.

Cavani, who has scored seven goals for United since joining in October and has been hailed for his professionalism and influence on other players in the squad, has not directly responded to the speculation. But he has done a timely social media post that partially addresses it.

Following his father’s comments, Cavani has quickly made sure to express his ongoing pride at being a Manchester United player. His message is not a denial of what his father said about wanting to move on, but it makes clear that he has not been unhappy playing for the club.

“Proud to wear this shirt,” the 34-year-old wrote on Instagram, alongside an image of him in United colours and tagging the club account.

Cavani has never played in front of United fans as a result of the coronavirus pandemic forcing Old Trafford to stay closed. It would be a shame if he were to leave the club at the end of the season without having done so because he has been a popular signing among supporters.

It is also vital that United, if they cannot convince him to stay, secure a quality replacement ahead of next season because the squad will considerably lack attacking depth if they don’t.

For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!