Man Utd cannot let Edinson Cavani join Boca Juniors without a replacement

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has been linked with a summer switch to Argentine giants Boca Juniors, but the Old Trafford club must do all they can to convince him to stay unless they already have a concrete plan to replace him.

Eyebrows were raised when United began pursuing Cavani in the final days of the delayed summer transfer window last October. The Uruguayan hadn’t played for six months and nobody else had signed him despite being on the market as a free agent since the end of June.

He was noted for his incredible goal record over the previous decade, yet there were concerns he was past it, while it looked to be a move of desperation from United after failing to land other targets.

There can be no denying that United didn’t plan for it – if they had, a deal would have been secured months earlier, not on deadline day. But, regardless of how it happened, the club has stumbled onto a hit with Cavani, who has defied the critics and has become a fan favourite.

His time at United hasn’t been without the injuries that started creeping in towards the end of his career at Paris Saint-Germain, but the way he plays between the posts as a classic ‘number nine’ and never makes defenders stop thinking as a result of his phenomenal movement has been superb.

Beyond his own performances, Cavani’s influence on teammates has been a big asset. Mason Greenwood recently discussed how he watches the 34-year-old in training and there has been similar chance for Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to learn from a modern great.

Cavani only signed a contract with United until the end of the season when he arrived, although there is an option to extend the deal by another 12 months that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said recently will be discussed with the player and his representatives soon.

“I can only say Edinson has done well for us, I've been impressed with him and he's gelled really well with the group. We’ll sit down with him and speak with him in the near future, of course, to see his plans and our plans,” the United boss explained.

Not long ago, it looked as though that conversation might have been a relative formality. Now, however, there could be a spanner in the works, because two reports emerging from Argentina suggest that Cavani could opt to leave Manchester and join Boca Juniors instead.

Argentine outlet Ole cites a source from Cavani’s own entourage to claim that the player has decided he will be a Boca player in July following talks between the club and his agent/half-brother Walter Guglielmone. There is also said to have been previous contact from Boca vice-president and club legend Juan Roman Riquelme, while Cavani himself is thought to have long dreamed of playing for the club and following in the footsteps of 1990s Uruguayan star Sergio Martinez, aka Manteca.

Ole also notes that Cavani is willing to take a pay cut to join Boca, whose budget cannot match the figures he has earned while in Europe. It is said he has asked for a three-year contract to pay him in total the equivalent of what he has pocketed in just one season at United.

DIRECTV Sports in Argentina has reported similar about a possible Boca transfer on reduced wages.

As far as United are concerned, it would be a blow to lose an influential player of top quality. It would also be a disappointment for fans were he to leave before stadiums are re-opened and they ever get to see him play for the club live or show their appreciation.

United’s long-term future and prospects don’t hinge on a player nearing the end of his career. Yet the club hierarchy’s record in the transfer market has been less than convincing over the last seven years and they can’t afford to lose the depth he offers without securing a replacement.

Given that Marcus Rashford is far more effective playing from the left flank and Mason Greenwood lacks the physical presence to play centrally while he is still so young, Cavani’s departure would again leave an inconsistent at best Anthony Martial as the only proper ‘number nine’ in the squad.

At this stage of his career and given what he has achieved, Cavani doesn’t owe anything to anyone and if he wants to join Boca to fulfil a childhood dream, nothing should stop him. But United need to try and convince him otherwise unless they believe signing another striker is actually possible.

Losing Cavani and not adding to the squad, which will be difficult in the current climate when United already have other important positions to targets, would be a huge step backwards. Losing Cavani but landing a quality replacement would be far from the end of the world and a step into the future.

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