Should Cavani join Chelsea, City, PSG or Madrid?

• Posted on July 5, 2013July 5, 2013
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Uruguayan striker is a man in demand as a quartet of Europe’s elite all compete for his services, but which side should the Napoli forward opt to join this summer?

DEBATE

The race to sign Edinson Cavani is well and truly on. Four of Europe’s elite clubs all hope to recruit the Uruguay forward from Napoli this summer, but only one, if any, will get their man.

Chelsea had looked like favourites after Goal revealed earlier this week that the Uruguayan hoped to move to Stamford Bridge, but Paris Saint-Germain are now heading the queue for his signature after stepping up their interest on Thursday. Madrid and Manchester City are also still in the frame.

So which club should Cavani join this summer? Goal takes a look at the pros and cons for each of the forward’s four possible destinations.

With Romelu Lukaku still only 20, Demba Ba blowing hot and cold and Fernando Torres still, well, Fernando Torres, Chelsea need a top-class striker more than any other major European club.

Despite his exorbitant price tag, Edinson Cavani ticks all the boxes for Jose Mourinho.

As well as being a clinical finisher in the air or on the ground, he is a powerful focal point around which Chelsea’s incredible wealth of creative talent could flourish.

He can hold the ball up to relieve pressure on his team – the same job Didier Drogba often did in Mourinho’s first great Blues side – and his link-up play is underrated.

In addition, Cavani proved under Walter Mazzarri at Napoli that there are few deadlier strikers in the world on the counter-attack. This quality fits Mourinho’s vision perfectly.

The recent past suggests the transition from Serie A to the Premier League is not easy for strikers – given Hernan Crespo and Andriy Shevchenko’s lamentable struggles – but Cavani looks better equipped than most.

Even in transition, Chelsea showed enough in flashes last season to suggest they are only two or three top-class signings away from mounting another assault on the Champions League.

A universally feared striker is the top priority and Cavani is among the few who can be that man.

GOAL