Manchester United and Chelsea are ready to
go head-to-head in a summer battle to sign £54million striker Edinson Cavani.
The Uruguayan’s representatives were in
London as they consider a move away from Paris Saint-Germain, where Cavani has
become unsettled.
The 26-year-old has been a success in
France but is uncomfortable playing in a wide role to accommodate Zlatan
Ibrahimovic as the central striker.
United manager David Moyes has Cavani on
his shortlist but knows he will face competition from Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.
Both clubs want to bolster their
strikeforce in the summer with Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa and Bayern
Munich’s Mario Mandzukic also figuring prominently in their thinking.
United sounded out PSG last month but were
told they would not sell Cavani in January.
Now Cavani’s camp is ready to hold
preliminary discussions with would-be suitors about what financial figures
would be involved.
Cavani is currently out for three weeks
with a thigh injury but remains an important signing for the wealthy French
club and they would not sell for less than the £54m they paid to Napoli last
summer.
They also know that Cavani could star for
Uruguay at the World Cup, making his price rise even further.
Moyes has warned United players to expect
greater competition while Chelsea will sell Demba Ba and possibly Samuel Eto’o
and Fernando Torres too.
United will consider offers for Javier
Hernandez in the summer with Borussia Dortmund among those interested while
qualification for the Champions League and where they finish could yet have a
bearing on Robin van Persie's Old Trafford future.
PSG owner Nasser El-Khelaifi has threatened
to retaliate with counter offers for Premier League players should clubs pursue
his players, so bids for Cavani could make for an interesting summer.
