Edinson Cavani once famously stated that he ‘does not play to be a legend’. But isn’t that exactly the kind of thing a legend would say?
It is no surprise to hear those kinds of words fall from the mouth of the Uruguayan striker. Throughout his career, he has placed as much emphasis on teamwork as on personal glory. Yet he still broke the all-time scoring record for the French club, surpassing Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s haul of 156 goals.
Playing in the shadows
Due to Ibrahimović’s presence, Cavani spent his early years playing second fiddle and was often played out of position. However, he still managed 25 goals in his first campaign, 31 in his second and 25 in his third. In 2016, the Swede left for Manchester United and the Uruguayan became the focus of attention. He responded with 49 goals in the 2016/17 campaign to confirm his status as a world-class striker.
Just as his status as PSG’s key player was becoming established, his bosses forked out €222m to bring in Brazilian forward Neymar from Barcelona. Suddenly, Cavani was back in the shadows. There was a tense moment in September when the two players appeared to argue about who was going to take a penalty against Lyon. Yet it barely affected him as he racked up another 40 goals in 2017/18 to Neymar’s 28. The following season, both players contributed 23 goals. While in the current campaign, set to be his last, the goals have dried up a little.
Now aged 33, the striker was linked with both Atletico Madrid and Manchester United in the January transfer window, but he now looks set to leave on a free transfer in the summer. Eager fans will be keeping an eye on the sports betting odds as speculation about his next destination emerges. When he does finally make his move, there is no doubt he will leave as a club legend.
Model professional
He is PSG’s top scorer of all time and their top ever in the UEFA Champions League with 30 goals from 53 appearances. He has helped the club win five Ligue 1 titles, four French Cups, and five French League Cups, and he has remained disciplined and professional throughout. He also remained loyal when he could have moved to another club at his peak two or three years ago. As a result, he has earned a great deal of respect from his teammates and fellow professionals.
In a twist of events, the Paris club could find themselves without both Cavani and Neymar in the summer, as the Brazilian has also been linked with a move away from the club. Former club Barcelona are the current favourites to land his signature with Real Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich also being mentioned. Despite being the most expensive player in the world, Neymar is unlikely to be remembered in the same way as Cavani. He may only be 35th on the list of the world’s most expensive transfers but, to PSG fans, he is No 1.
