Edinson Cavani: A Success or Not at Manchester United?

After a two-year stint on the red side of Manchester, Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani appears to have set his sights on a new challenge outside of Europe as speculation grows of a potential move to Mexico.

But what did El Matador provide for United throughout his stay?

Cavani joined the team from French giants Paris Saint-Germain in October 2020 and scored his first goal for the Reds in a 3-1 away win against Everton on November 7 – his first of 12 Premier League goals.

His work rate and attitude portrayed on the pitch soon made him a big hit with United fans and it was unfortunate that the star’s first season coincided with the lockdown in England, meaning supporters weren’t able to see the star in action until the final game of the 20/21 set of fixtures.

It also didn’t take fans long to create their own unique chant for the forward, donning their number seven “the King of Uruguay”, which came into use throughout both home and away games.

However, the unexpected return of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo saw the number seven shirt in question, as the Portuguese was always remembered as an iconic player to have worn the number. Cavani showed his sportsmanship and respect for his new teammate though and agreed to switch to the number 21 for the remainder of his time at the club.

Was Cavani’s fitness ultimately the demise of his Manchester United career?

The 35-year-old’s fitness came into doubt during a number of games as the season went on, causing him to miss an array of important fixtures for the Red Devils.

Their season was already unsettled by the departure of former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following a multitude of disappointing results, and interim manager Ralf Rangnick was given the responsibility of getting the team back on track and competing with the top clubs.

Overall, Cavani can leave Old Trafford knowing he was arguably one of the best of a bad bunch. When a lot of players appeared sluggish and idle, El Matador was one on the pitch who portrayed a clear desire and hunger for scoring goals, as well as motivating and providing for his teammates.

Unfortunately for him, his time at such an iconic and special club came during this ongoing era of despair and disappointment, and though he may have scored crucial goals in their bids for silverware and success, the trophy cabinet in Manchester stays locked for now, and reminiscent of days gone by.