Edinson Cavani names two emotional reasons for staying at Man Utd after penning one-year contract extension
Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has signed a one-year contract extension to stay at Old Trafford for next season, the club have announced.
The 34-year-old Uruguayan has scored 15 goals this season, helping United to second place in the Premier League and to the final of the Europa League. There was strong speculation the forward would return to South America this summer. However, he has decided to remain in Manchester.
Cavani told the club website: “Over the season I have developed a great affection for the club and everything that it represents.
“I feel a deep bond with my team-mates and the staff who work behind the scenes here. They give me extra motivation every day and I know that, together, we can achieve special things.”
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer added: “I said when Edinson signed that he would bring energy, power and leadership to this group and I haven’t been proved wrong, he has been everything I thought he would be and more.
“As coaches, we knew about his goal-scoring record. However, it is his personality that has brought so much to this squad, he has a winning mentality and has an unequivocal attitude to everything he does.
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— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 10, 2021
“Edinson is one of the last to leave the training ground and sets the tone for the upcoming youngsters with his approach to his profession every single day.
“I have always wanted him to stay and experience the way our fans will respond to him as a player, and this means he will hopefully get that opportunity.”
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Owen claims Solskjaer lack trust in star
Meanwhile, Michael Owen claims that Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lacks the trust to play Paul Pogba in the team that “every fan” wants to see.
The French midfielder has, this season, enjoyed his best form in a United shirt since his return. In 24 Premier League appearances, he has contributed three crucial goals and supplied five assists. In fact, he has laid on four strikes in the past five games, while he scored the winner in the Europa League last-16 tie with AC Milan.
Meanwhile, he has also operated in a holding midfield role at times this season and while he is a midfielder by trade, he has also operated out wide.
Nevertheless, the vast majority of Pogba’s appearances this season have come from the centre of midfield.
Indeed, he has only started further behind four times and played out wide in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa.
As such, Owen claimed on Premier League Productions‘ coverage of the match that Solskjaer has an issue trusting the France international in a holding midfield role.
“I know every Manchester United fan around the world would agree: get Paul Pogba in alongside one sitting midfield player,” the pundit said.
“Then you can get an extra body going forward, the likes of [Edinson] Cavani and you can put [Bruno] Fernandes in behind with the two normal wide players.
“However, as it is, you have to put Cavani on the bench because you don’t trust Pogba in the middle as a sitting midfielder so you have to stick him out wide. It’s a conundrum.”
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