"Yes, it's true" - Former Manchester United star confirms he had agreed to join Atletico Madrid but they failed to agree deal with PSG
Former Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has confirmed that he was denied a move to Spain earlier while he was contracted to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Cavani made his move to Spanish side Valencia this summer on a free transfer after his contract expired at Manchester United.
The Uruguayan international made his debut for Gennaro Gattuso's side on Saturday in a 3-0 win for Los Che. Even though the former PSG attacker did not score a goal or provide an assist, he looked sharp on his debut at Mestalla.
The former Napoli forward has claimed that he could have made his move to Spain earlier in 2020 when Atletico Madrid were interested in his signature.
During the winter transfer window in 2020, Cavani was close to joining Diego Simeone's side and even agreed personal terms with the Colchoneros. However, the Spanish capital club could not agree a deal with Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi as the move failed to materialize.
He spoke with #VCFMedia after his debut🗣️ @ECavaniOfficial on Mestalla: “It was divine here. I had experienced it from the stands before. The team won, which is the important thing. It is an extra joy to be able to win on the day of my debut”
🇺🇾 He spoke with #VCFMedia after his debut
#CORVCF | #VCFDNA
Cavani has opened up on his pleasure to finally be able to play in LaLiga.
He said, as quoted by Le10 Sport:
"Yes, it's true. I could have come another time, but it was not up to me."
He added:
"Atlético could not come to an agreement with PSG, which was my team at the time. But, fortunately, today I am here, in Spain”.
Cavani eventually joined Manchester United in the summer of 2020 after his contract expired at the Parc des Princes. During his time at Old Trafford, the Uruguayan struggled with fitness issues, but still scored 19 goals in 59 games while producing seven assists.
At 35 years of age now, the former Manchester United and PSG star is in the twilight of his career, and we will have to wait and see how he fares for Valencia.
Edinson Cavani has enjoyed a stellar career playing for big clubs like PSG, Manchester United and Napoli
Cavani: "Fishing gives me peace of mind. And as an attacker, it helps me with my vision. In fishing, you have to wait for the right moment to attack, to catch the fish. It's the same on a field . I started to associate my practice as a fisherman with that of a goalscorer." https://t.co/DmUZIhulLT
When we talk about the best strikers in the last couple of decades, Edinson Cavani quite naturally joins the list. The forward has enjoyed a fantastic career at both club football and at international level.
He caught the eye of the European giants during his time at Palermo before making his switch to Napoli.
After two impressive seasons for the Naples club, he joined PSG and had a stellar seven-year stay at the French capital club, scoring 200 goals and producing 43 assists in 301 appearances.
Cavani also did a pretty decent job at Manchester United, even in his thirties, while for Uruguay, he has 58 goals in 113 caps, which is outstanding.