Why Chelsea must stay away from PSG’s Edinson Cavani

According to The Sun, Chelsea have contacted Edinson Cavani regarding a January move away from Paris Saint-Germain.

Cavani, 32, is one of PSG’s stars and has established himself as one of the best strikers in Europe during his time at Paris. His exploits with Napoli for two years were enough to convince the French outfit of his potential and they signed him in 2013.

He is currently in his seventh season with the club. He has scored 196 goals in 290 appearances for the Parisians and has 40 assists to his name. He has won several trophies with the Ligue 1 giants and his time at the club seems to be nearing its end.

The Uruguayan’s contract at the club expires at the end of this season and the report suggests that Cavani is on the brink of a move Atletico Madrid, with whom he has negotiated a pre-contract agreement.

However, the forward wants to leave this month instead of waiting until the summer and that has alerted Chelsea, who are willing to splash the cash, according to L’Equipe (h/t The Sun).

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard had fielded a very young side for the majority of the season and despite the youngsters showing their potential initially, they have failed to convert their good performances into success in recent weeks.

They were banned from signing players last summer after a transfer ban and now that their ban has been uplifted, the manager has to strengthen his squad by roping in quality players who can make an instant impact on the team. And therefore, going for Cavani would prove to be a disaster.

The centre-forward has managed to play only 8 times in Ligue 1 this season and is clearly in the twilight of his career. He may not have the same charisma he had a few years back and at this age, coming into the Premier League, where there are high demands, would make it difficult for the striker.

Cavani might take a long time to settle to the conditions and by that time, the season would be nearing its end. This would cost Chelsea a lot. Though he has a proven track record, he surely is out of form at the moment.

Given his star status, Chelsea might have to pay him a huge amount of wages and this would not be worth it for a player past his prime. And it would be a waste of resources for the Blues, who must develop youngsters.

Verdict

Though Cavani could cost as little as £15m to £20m, Chelsea must not be flattered by the cost as it is not a long-term solution. Instead, they can splash a decent amount of cash on whom they believe can commit to the club’s future.

Therefore, it would be wise of the Stamford Bridge outfit to keep their sights away from Cavani.