Manchester United Transfer News: Edinson Cavani, Ilkay Gundogan Rumours Swirl
Louis van Gaal will have been watching as Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani netted a crucial Champions League round-of-16 goal against Chelsea on Tuesday night.
The Manchester United manager—who may be searching for a new goalscorer as the Radamel Falcao experiment continues to falter—is reportedly ready to offer Cavani £220,000 per week to join the Old Trafford club, reported by Spanish publication Fichajes (h/t Jamie Sanderson of the Metro).
Van Gaal has allegedly made Cavani a "crucial transfer priority," according to Sanderson, who believes the Dutchman has "ordered the signing of the forward." A price of £50 million is touted.
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Cavani headed the equaliser in PSG's 1-1 tie with Chelsea, posting a confident performance on the European stage. Laurent Blanc once again deployed him wide of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a 4-3-3 formation, a tactical decision which limits the Uruguayan's chances of reaching his goalscoring peak.
Although Cavani worked avidly to close down the Premier League side's threat from the wings, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes he is wasted in his current role:
Enter Van Gaal. Falcao and Robin van Persie have a combined total of 16 goals in 44 matches this season, per WhoScored.com, a tally which isn't good enough for United. Neither are willing to break beyond the defensive line, and they do not possess the pace to trouble defenders. Cavani can fix both of these problems for the Red Devils.
Van Gaal recently made it clear he is looking to strengthen United's midfield at the end of the season, per Sky Sports: "Signing a creative player should be our priority this summer," said the boss. "I'm looking for balance, and I need it in midfield. Wayne [Rooney] is playing in midfield because there is no one else."
It's no coincidence to see Ilkay Gundogan's name suddenly thrust back into the conversation, then. The Borussia Dortmund maestro has "rejected two offers of a new deal," according to Simon Osborn of the Metro. German publication Bild (h/t Osborn) suggests United are "interested" in the player whose contract runs out at the conclusion of next season.
Gundogan's progress has been slowed by consistent injury problems in recent years, but the 24-year-old is exactly the type of midfielder who can up United's creativity while offering balance in the centre.
He's assisted there during a stop-start run in the side this season, averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per match, according to WhoScored.com. Combined with a pass accuracy of 85.7 percent, it's safe to say he's an extremely tidy midfielder with plenty to prove as he continues to fight back against recent fitness troubles.
Moves for either Cavani or Gundogan would be up there with the biggest of the summer. Bleacher Report UK's Ryan Bailey and Matteo Bonetti recently looked at a handful of other contenders:
It will be interesting to see which direction Van Gaal takes United in during the summer. Right now, the club is playing slow, frustrating football but squeezing out results. It seems unlikely this will continue until the end of the season, as the team's tempo desperately needs to improve if a Champions League place is to be secured.
Van Gaal has the air of a man who trusts what he's doing more than the fans do. Players such as Cavani and Gundogan could significantly improve the side in the future, but right now, United have a major task on their hands to return to Europe's elite competition.
