Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has disclosed that club striker Edinson Cavani has handed in a transfer request and has told the club that he wants to leave the French club, FutballNews understands.
Cavani’s contract expires at the end of the season but the Uruguayan striker wants to leave during the January transfer window, The Uruguayan who turns 33 in February, joined PSG from Napoli in 2013 for £55m and has scored 195 goals in 269 appearances. The striker has also gone on to win different trophies for PSG during his seven-years spell.
Atletico Madrid have already met with PSG over the terms of a transfer and a personal agreement has already been reached between Atleti and the striker. Cavani has made 11 appearances for PSG this season, in which he has netted three goals.
The PSG star has been affected by injuries but that has not prevented Atletico expressing an interest in the Uruguay international. It was learned that the PSG forward rejected a move to MLS club Inter Miami in favour of remaining in European football.
Speaking after PSG triumphed in the Coupe de France against Lorient on Sunday, Leonardo admitted that Cavani’s future was now up in the air – but that any offers made would have to match the club’s valuation after they turned down Atletico’s bid.
“We always said the same thing for Cavani,” he said. “We hoped that he would stay at the club. Today, he asked to leave. We are studying the situation.
“We had a proposal from Atletico Madrid. We did not have a proposal worthy of the player’s worth. [But] I’m not sure Cavani will be here in February.
“Today, there is nothing [to say he will leave]. But he has made the proposal to leave. We’ve never thought about selling him before.
“We will see how it turns out in the coming days, but we are listening to Cavani because we respect him. It’s a little clearer now, with him at the end of his contract.”
Leonardo admitted that while there were options to cover the 32-year-old’s potential exit, there would be no rushed decisions made about the player’s future.
“We have players who can play everywhere,” he added. “There are many alternatives. [But] it’s hard to replace a player like Cavani. We must decide with lucidity.
“Like I said, we never thought about [selling him], but we are listening. The most important thing is balancing everybody’s desire.
“You can’t influence the [rest of the] group either. We [and Cavani] have always spoken with a lot of peace. We are talking about a story of six and a half years between us, not a week. There is a lot of respect between us.”
In a related development, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has said that he might make a move for PSG striker Edinson Cavani. Lampard has made no secret of his desire to sign a new forward this month due to Chelsea’s problems breaking down opponents who sit deep.
He said: “I think long term in January is very difficult so short term is something we would look at,” said Lampard when asked what kind of deals Chelsea may make this month.
“I think there are issues that are pressing for us to finish where we want to get to. Short term is something we are looking at.
“He’s (Cavani) a great player – I played against him and I always loved his mentality and his attitude. His goal-scoring record speaks for itself. I’m not absolutely aware of what the situation is, so we’ll see.
“He’s an experienced player but so are many other players out there! We are young as a squad so the idea of bringing in experience is not something I’m looking away from. Sometimes the younger players need a bit of help.”
