CAVANI EDIN TO UTD: IMPRESS LIKE IBRA OR FLOP LIKE FALCAO

Featured Image Credit: PSG Talk

Man Utd’s bizarre transfer window has taken another dramatic turn, as the club close in on the signing of former Paris St-Germain striker Edison Cavani.

Cavani is due to fly to England today in order to complete a medical and finalise the deal, which could be worth up to £220,000-a-week after tax, according to the Star.

United's move for Cavani mirrors that of Donny van de Beek's capture earlier in the window, with the shock move rapidly gaining momentum.

However, if completed the efficiency of both deals would cast further shadows over Ed Woodward's inability to strike a deal with Borussia Dortmund, over the signing of England star Jadon Sancho.

The winger has been heavily linked with the Red Devils all summer, but a move has yet to materialise.

If successful, Cavani will be the latest in a growing line of veteran strikers to join United of late - including Ibrahimovic and Radamel Falcao.

CAV HE DO IT?

The Red Devils will be hoping that the PSG legend can replicate the impact that former United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic had during his two-year stay with the Manchester outfit.

During his short spell at the club, Ibrahimovic won three trophies and scored 29 goals in 53 appearances, an impressive feat for a player in his 30's.

However, it wasn't just his performances on the pitch that made Ibra so important for United, but also his leadership skills off it.

Current Red Devil's striker Marcus Rashford hailed the Swedish footballer in an interview with the UTD podcast, claiming he was 'key' to his development.

"His mentality was beyond anything I’d ever played with before.

"He didn’t care what anyone would say to him or what anyone was saying about him. In terms of his mentality he was key to my development," Rashford told the UTD podcast.

So, could Cavani be the man United have desperately needed since Ibrahimovic's departure in 2018?

In terms of similarities, United will struggle to find a player more similar to Ibra than the Uruguayan goalscorer.

Both players would have joined United off the back of a lengthy stay at French club PSG, with the duo playing alongside each other for an extensive period of time in the French capital.

Ibrahimovic joined PSG in 2012, a year before the Ligue 1 side bought Cavani from Napoli for £55m.

Both players went on to play well over 100 games for the club, each scoring upwards of 110 goals.

Ibrahimovic recorded a more lethal 113 goals in 122 games, whilst Cavani netted an equally impressive 138 times in 200 outings, for one of Europe's biggest teams.

Furthermore, both players would have come to Manchester in the twilight years of their careers, with current AC Milan striker Ibrahimovic 34 when he joined the club and Cavani currently 33.

Having played alongside the towering 6'5 Swedish striker in France, Cavani would also be able to bring with him the knowledge of playing alongside a player like Ibrahimovic - knowledge that has proven to be invaluable to United's younger players.

Being a Uruguayan national team player himself as well, Cavani would be a key member of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dressing room, filling the obvious void of leadership in the squad left by the likes previous strikers: Wayne Rooney, Van Persie and of course Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

FUTURE FORWARD FLOP?

Not all big-name strikers have succeeded at United, however, with the biggest striking flop of recent years at the Red Devils and the Premier League as a whole, coming in the shape of Radamel Falcao.

Former Monaco striker Falcao, was once regarded as one of the best strikers in the world and when his loan move to Manchester United was announced back in 2014, many were excited about the move.

But the Colombian international's move to United couldn't have gone much worse, scoring only four times in 29 games for the Red Devils, resulting in him returning to Monaco after United didn't exercise their option to buy.

Falcao's shocking and short-lived career in the Premier League is evidence, not all superstar signings work out and will definitely be in the back of the minds of all members involved in the potential transfer.

ONE OF TWO WAYS

If Manchester United do get their man, then the deal will definitely be an interesting one.

Cavani could set the Premier League alight just like his fellow PSG compatriot Ibrahimovic did, only two years ago.

And with the Urugayuan's prolific eye for goal, quick pace and strong slender build, he could be the ideal fit at the Red Devils.

But don't take anything for guaranteed.

In the season before joining United, flop Falcao recorded a goal every 2.4 games, while Cavani's previous season stats only equate to a goal every 3.1 games, a worrying figure for a player demanding such a big wage.