Cavani proves Man Utd are better off without him
Robin Bairner
- 18 Sept 2022 19:12 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United may only have one natural centre-forward this season, but they took the right decision when it came to releasing Edinson Cavani.
Cavani had grown frustrated with life at Old Trafford and would have left partially of his own accord last summer, but there was no desire on Man Utd’s part to keep him after a frustrating second season in which he found himself regularly pinned to the bench behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Uruguay international played only 20 times across all competitions and barely averaged 45 minutes across those appearances. In total, he managed only two goals and a single assist.
Cavani was not only hampered by the presence of Ronaldo, but also by persistent injury concerns. He suffered regularly from injury concerns, with a tendon problem in the autumn followed by a groin strain in February and a calf injury in April.
Cavani's reluctant Valencia debut
He made his debut for Valencia on Saturday against Celta Viga in La Liga, which his side won 3-0. Cavani featured in more than three-quarters of the match, but after the encounter head coach Gennaro Gattuso admitted that the South American still has doubts over his own fitness levels.
“He didn’t want to play. He wanted to play 30-35 minutes, but there are footballers that have the conditions to be in from the start. He has been without team training for three months and the work beforehand was important, as was having competition,” Gattuso admitted.
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While carrying such a player is a risk that a club like Valencia can afford to take because of the quality he brings when fit, Manchester United are in need of a reliable backup for Ronaldo.
Manager Erik ten Hag has yet to find that, but they are liable to make a plunge into the January transfer market in order to find a solution.
