United almost lose Cavani to Barcelona

Since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus, there have been questions over where this leaves Edinson Cavani’s place in the team. Having convinced him to stay for a further season, after homesickness had led to speculation he would return to South America to play for Boca Juniors, there were worries Ronaldo’s arrival may further unsettle him.

The Premier League have put a stop to players leaving for this international if going to countries on the red list but Cavani had initially been insistent that he was going to go regardless. The quarantine period, both for this break and the upcoming international games in October, could have seen Cavani miss four games. Having been allowed to return to the club following an extended holiday so he could spend more time with his family this summer, an allowance made in recognition of him agreeing to stay, it felt as though he was pushing his luck. Thankfully, he changed his mind and won’t be playing in Uruguay’s games against Peru, Bolivia and and Ecuador.

However, this morning reports from Spain suggested that Cavani was in talks with Barcelona. The player had been discussing a salary with the Spanish club and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had apparently given his blessing, not wanting to keep a player against his wishes. While reports claimed that talks were advanced, the move fell through when the two parties couldn’t agree on wages and it appears as though Cavani will stay with United for the season ahead.

Cavani plays in our number seven shirt, Ronaldo’s former number and part of his CR7 branding, but Premier League rules mean once a player has been registered for a season they can’t be changed without special permission. However, now that Dan James has agreed a transfer to Leeds, his no.21 shirt is available, which is meaningful for a couple of reasons. Firstly, that is the number he wears for his national team Uruguay, and secondly because that is the number of titles we will chasing this season. Like Robin van Persie famously took the no.20 shirt when he signed from Arsenal, and us winning our 20th title in his debut season, Cavani may find the appeal in swapping shirts if the Premier League allow it.