Barca target Cavani but a deal for another Man Utd star makes more sense

Robin Bairner

• 6 Jan 2022 10:45 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona have turned their attentions to Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani as they search for additional firepower.

The Catalans had been on track to add Alvaro Morata to their ranks, but the ever-changing world of football transfer news was demonstrated when Juventus put the blocks on a deal.

Not only did the Serie A side come out and state that Morata is not for sale, they also accused the Camp Nou outfit of tapping up the former Real Madrid attacker.

As the first week of the January window runs to a close, it appears that any prospects of signing the Spain star have, therefore, been shelved.

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Barcelona's Plan B

Instead, Barcelona have turned to ‘Plan B’ alternatives, with Marca reporting that Man Utd ace Cavani is a player they fancy to lead their line.

From the Spanish club’s perspective, this represents a fine opportunity. Cavani is a seasoned striker, whose movement, intelligence and work rate can be an asset to their squad, but for the Red Devils, losing such a player would be folly.

Behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Cavani is Man Utd’s best No.9, and though the lure of first-team football is doubtless something that will appeal to the player, it could leave the Old Trafford club short on quality.

Reports in France had suggested that Mauro Icardi of Paris Saint-Germain, could represent an alternative should the Uruguay legend move on, but he offers little aside from his goalscoring and appears wholly unsuitable to a team that wishes to press high up the field.

With reasonably priced alternatives thin on the ground, Man Utd cannot afford for him to depart mid-season.

An alternative that might better suit both parties is a loan deal for Anthony Martial, the type of which has been reported by Sport.

It is suggested that Martial could move to Barcelona on loan until the end of the season, with a €40 million non-compulsory purchase option in the deal that the Spanish side could take up if the France international does well.

This would solve numerous problems for both teams. Man Utd would offload a makeweight player, who would benefit from additional game time, while Barca would gain an additional option in attack.

Cavani might not make the journey from Manchester United to Barcelona this January, but a deal for Martial would make a lot of sense.