Barcelona are ready to adjust their approach in order to complete the transfer of Edinson Cavani from Manchester United, according to reports.
Cavani is a major target for Barcelona as they look for another striker. They took Sergio Aguero from Manchester City in the summer, but he has had to retire. Therefore, Barca are now looking towards the red half of Manchester instead.
Opportunities at Old Trafford have been few and far between for Cavani this season. He made a good impression after joining the club in 2020, earning another year of contract. However, he may not fulfil it.
Already linked with an exit in the summer, Cavani committed his future until the end of the campaign. But he has been one of those to have suffered since the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Pushed down the pecking order, Cavani is now considering his future. A January exit is a possibility. Barcelona appear to be his most likely suitors.
However, doubt was recently cast on the chances of the move due to a contractual obstacle. It was claimed that Barca only wanted to offer him terms until the end of the season. Cavani, in contrast, would rather sign up until 2023.
Now, it appears they are finding a middle ground. According to Gerard Romero, Barcelona are now making an 18-month offer to Cavani.
Despite their financial issues, they are able to offer him an annual salary of €3.5m until the end of the current campaign. In addition, he could receive performance bonuses of up to €1m. For the full 2022-23 season, his salary would improve further to €4m plus €1.5m of add-ons.
Cavani is believed to be keen to sign up to help Barca get back towards where they belong. They are currently eighth in La Liga, far below their usual aims.
TyC Sports report that Cavani has clarified Barcelona are his first-choice destination. With that in mind, he has turned down a fresh approach from Boca Juniors, who wanted to take him to Argentina.
Cavani’s heart now seems set on a switch to Camp Nou. An agreement would still need to be found with Man Utd, given that they have him under contract for six more months.
One ESPN reporter has confirmed that United will not make his departure too easy. Furthermore, the idea of a concrete offer has been denied, even though there is agreement that it would be for one-and-a-half seasons if so.
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Meanwhile, United could lose another player to the European giant in January. Alex Telles has been linked with a transfer to Barcelona as well.
The left-back spent time at Gremio, Galatasaray, Inter and Porto before joining Man Utd in October last year. The Red Devils parted with £15.4m to bring Telles to England.
The four-time Brazil international made nine Premier League appearances in his debut season. He mainly acted as Luke Shaw’s backup. More gametime came in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
An injury to Shaw has seen Telles start in Man Utd’s last four league matches. He has put in some impressive performances as the Old Trafford club have picked up 10 points from a possible 12.
Now, though, Barcelona are apparently hoping to make Telles Jordi Alba’s long-term successor at the Camp Nou.
Alba is now 32 and entering the twilight years of his career. Xavi will need to find a suitable replacement in the next few transfer windows. It seems Telles is his main target.
The report claims Telles could be open to a transfer if he returns to the bench due to Shaw. But right now, the player is happy in Manchester.
United would also be unlikely to sanction a sale. They only brought Telles in during 2020 so would want to get the best out of him before he leaves.
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