No, Real Madrid does not need Edinson Cavani
By Ben Sundock
Real Madrid has been linked with a free-transfer for former Paris Saint-Germain striker and Uruguayan international Edinson Cavani. Zidane and Los Blancos should not want and certainly do not need to sign Cavani.
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez seems to have that itch to buy a big-name player ever two or three years. However, in an uncertain world that has been crippled by a pandemic, the defending La Liga champions have adopted a very different transfer policy for this altered “summer” window.
The club is playing the role of sellers in order to boost club revenue and make sure the current first-team players are properly compensated for their work. We have already seen Achraf Hakimi and Sergio Reguilon sold while Gareth Bale and several other younger players were loaned out.
One deal that makes sense on paper because of Real Madrid’s new transfer policy is a free-transfer to bring in 33-year-old Edinson Cavani. A free-transfer would simplify the deal since the club would only have to discuss terms with Cavani and his agent, which would of course save the Spanish giants a large stash of cash.
Edinson Cavani and his agent, Walter Guglielmone, have been asking for a large salary and incentives that would total about seven million euros for one season of service, however, with no nibbles of note from clubs around Europe, Guglielmone has said his client is willing to take a pay cut.
PSG sporting director – Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo – announced in early June that neither Thiago Silva nor Cavani would be returning to the French club after the end of the campaign, but only Cavani was not able to find a suitable landing spot while Thiago Silva signed on with Frank Lampard and Chelsea.
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There are a couple of ways to think rationally on whether or not Real Madrid should look at signing Cavani. The first and most obvious parameter is the salary. If Cavani is wanting nearly 10 million euros, laugh and walk away.
Yes, he has been a stellar number nine over seven seasons with PSG. He even scored double digit goals in Ligue 1 in six of those seven years.
The reason I so adamantly stand on the “please don’t sign Edinson Cavani” side of this argument is because one, the pay, two, the wealth of strikers Real Madrid already has in their possession, and three, the player’s age.
Luka Jovic, Mariano Diaz, and even Borja Mayoral are desperate to make an impression and compete with Karim Benzema for the starting striker position, but it has been increasingly difficult to buck the Frenchman from Zidane’s best XI.
Furthermore, why would Real commit so much money to one player for one season when the recent the transfer market trend has shown the desire to sign young, promising players who can grow internally through the club and earn their way into the first team?
Cavani would not receive any significant playing time unless Benzema were to get injured or Jovic were to be loaned out. Having five players competing for one roster spot is sometimes a good thing, but not in this case.
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I think it is also very telling that only two other clubs – Atletico Madrid and SL Benfica – have been interested in acquiring Cavani. Now, however, it looks like neither will submit a formal bid.
Atletico is on the verge of signing Luis Suarez from FC Barcelona and SL Benfica has shown interest in Mariano Diaz (though Mariano has rejected to move to Portugal on loan).