Moyes joins Cavani race

Manchester United manager David Moyes has emerged as a shock contender to sign Napoli and Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani.
The 26-year-old could be one of the most expensive acquisitions in this summer’s transfer window — and indeed, if United land him for the £50 million quoted by the Daily Mirror, he would become their record signing. The key rivals for his signature at this stage are Real Madrid and Chelsea, the paper adds, and although Cavani has a £54 million release clause, since no club has yet matched that Napoli may be prepared to let him go for slightly less than that.

Now Paper Round is naturally a cynical sort, so whether United will spend twice their previous record in the Glazer era on a single player remains to be seen — especially if the man asking for the money is Moyes, rather than Sir Alex Ferguson.

Whether they need another striker rather than a midfielder is also a factor. But the report suggests that Wayne Rooney’s sale this summer would offset at least some of the Cavani fee on one hand, and on the other the deal for Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara would not be affected.

Speaking of Rooney, The Sun picks up on a link with the forward and a move to Barcelona.
First of all, the 27-year-old will have showdown talks with Moyes over his future — but if those end with him being surplus to requirements, the Catalans would reportedly pounce, seeing his versatility and work rate as useful additions to the squad.

A £25m deal for Rooney, as well as offloading his £250 000-a-week wages from the accounts, would certainly help the Red Devils commit to the Cavani move. The Daily Mail has also got word of United’s bid for Cavani, but cites reports from Italian radio that Chelsea have agreed a £49.3m deal for his sale. —Eurosport.