Edinson Cavani’s move to Atletico Madrid seemed like a foregone conclusion, but a new report by Spanish publication AS has seemingly muddied the waters.
The AS report states that new Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami has made a bid for Cavani with just two days remaining in the transfer window. While French clubs are welcome to sell players after the transfer window has closed, Cavani will want to have things wrapped up by Friday’s deadline so that if he decides to stay with Atletico, the move will still be possible. Cavani has also been linked to Chelsea, but his switch to Atletico seemed imminent enough that it feels the Blues have moved on.
Cavani has been on his way out at Paris Saint-Germain for some time, having handed in a transfer request earlier this month. He is a fan favorite at PSG, but has been a bit-part player this season due to injuries and the arrival of Mauro Icardi who pushed Cavani down the pecking order.
At 32, the Uruguayan international remains a high-level player, still a significant part of the international squad. However, this decision is clearly important as his place with Uruguay could prove fragile should he remain on the sidelines much longer or continue to struggle in front of net. Diego Simeone’s side has been starving for a goalscoring presence like Cavani, but they have also lacked a creative force other than young Joao Felix who has been unable to shoulder the load all on his own. That has left Alvaro Morata picking at scraps up front, and it’s unclear whether the addition of another striker in Cavani could solve Atleti’s goalscoring conundrum.
With two Designated Player slots remaining open, Inter Miami has been linked to a host of big name players in recent weeks, set to begin its first MLS season this coming March. Other names linked with Miami include Monterrey striker Rogelio Funes Mori and Chelsea’s Spanish winger Pedro.