Edinson Cavani taking ‘important role’ at Manchester United as evergreen striker leaves Diego Forlan impressed

Tom Doyle22 February 2021

Diego Forlan believes Edinson Cavani is not just a short-term option for Manchester United, and says the striker has the potential to keep playing for "many years".

Cavani was something of a panic signing for United, arriving late in the summer transfer window despite being available on a free after ending his successful stint at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the 2019/20 season.

Cavani's age was also a concern: the Uruguay international recently turned 34, which suggests that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was not necessarily looking at his as a long-term first-choice striker.

However, Cavani has adapted well to the Premier League, offering United a presence leading the line with excellent movement off the ball to provide an aerial threat the Red Devils have been lacking since Zlatan Ibrahimovic's exit.

Cavani has scored seven goals in 24 appearances for United in total, representing a solid piece of business given the financial constraints of the pandemic - and the veteran forward's impact on the squad could be priceless.

Bruno Fernandes recently credited Cavani with telling him to place his match-winning free-kick to Alisson Becker's left during United's 3-2 FA Cup win over Liverpool, while the likes of Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are able to learn from a star name who has won dozens of trophies in France.

Speaking at a LaLiga event, former United striker Forlan said of his compatriot’s impact at Old Trafford: "I’m very impressed.

LaLiga

“It’s a different situation to [Luis] Suárez [at Atletico Madrid] as he had a six-month break without playing.

"Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is doing a great job and giving him the minutes to thrive.

"He has an important role in the team and is helping the young players at a great club to settle in. He’s helping the team fight for titles which is very important.

"I’m confident he will keep getting the minutes and with his physical strengths I think he can continue playing for many years."

Catch all of this season’s LaLiga action on LaLigaTV from just £6.99 a month via Sky channel 435, Virgin TV channel 554, streaming on the Premier Player service and now via Amazon Prime Video Channels as an add-on subscription.

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