A source close to the Manchester United dressing room didn’t seem too convinced by the club’s late move for former Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani.
The Uruguay international joined the Red Devils on deadline day on a free transfer, while Alex Telles was also a big-name arrival from Porto after what had mostly been a pretty quiet summer at Old Trafford.
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Did United panic late on? According to The Athletic, one source close to the dressing room suspected the somewhat surprise late deal for Cavani may have been a panic buy.
“Looks like a panic buy,” was the verdict of an unnamed source, as quoted by The Athletic, and fans may be concerned at their club’s apparent lack of planning again.
That said, Cavani has had a great career at PSG, Napoli and at international level, so surely has the potential to at least come in as a short-term fix up front, providing cover for youthful trio Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood.
The 33-year-old has been backed to make an impact by former United midfielder Luke Chadwick, who even suggested the deal could be a stroke of ‘genius’ if it works out.
“I’m sure he’s got something to offer, he’s had an incredible career in the game,” Chadwick told CaughtOffside. “Obviously he’s getting a little bit older and you do fear maybe that was a signing that came about because they missed out on a few other players they wanted and Cavani was available.
“But he could be one of those that comes in and – if he starts scoring straight away – it’ll look like a stroke of genius. It’ll be interesting to see where he fits in, whether he starts games. From the looks of the last few Premier League performances, United need players who can come in and play straight away.”