Man United lead race to sign crazy Liverpool star who could be Cavani 2.0

Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement from Manchester United in 2013, there have been some exciting attackers to grace the Old Trafford turf.

Of course, the likes of Wayne Rooney, Chicharito, and Robin van Persie were there beyond the legendary manager’s reign, but they also bought some enterprising attackers.

Before his injury issues, Anthony Martial was electric to watch at times in the Premier League, and his partner in crime, Marcus Rashford, has shown his qualities in patches. Bruno Fernandes has led from the front in a United shirt since joining in 2020 and has 86 goals and 77 assists for the club.

Arguably, one of the most underrated attackers since the glory days under Ferguson was Edinson Cavani.

Cavani’s United record

Cavani made the move to Old Trafford on a free transfer after leaving French giants Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. United legend Gary Neville explained he “was a skeptic when United signed Cavani”, but admitted the striker was “absolutely sensational in every single way” during his stint in Manchester.

Indeed, the United fans adored their former number seven, although he did not play much in front of fans due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He only played 59 times for the Red Devils, scoring 19 goals and grabbing six assists.

The striker’s impact in the Europa League during his first season at the club was fantastic. He scored six goals and registered two assists in the final four games of the competition as United got all the way to the final but lost to Villarreal.

He left upon the expiration of his contract in 2022 and explained that he had “nothing but words of gratitude towards the fans and supporters”. It was a short but sweet time at United for Cavani, and he will go down as a cult hero of the club.

Funnily enough, United are linked with another Uruguayan striker in recent days, who would have to work hard if he wants to win over the United fans like Cavani did so quickly. However, manager Ruben Amorim will be hoping he can become his own version of Cavani.

Man United target Uruguayan striker

The player in question here, rather surprisingly, is Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez. According to reports from Spain, the Red Devils are ‘emerging as the main candidate to secure the Uruguayan attacker’s services’. The fee is currently unconfirmed, but Liverpool are likely to want to recoup much of the £85m they spent on him back in 2022 from Benfica.

Nunez was always touted as a player who would go on to do great things, described as a player with “world-class potential” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig. His numbers at Benfica were impressive, with 48 goals and 16 assists in 85 games for the Portuguese giants.

At Liverpool, he has not been quite as potent. Now into his third season with the club, the 25-year-old has scored 39 goals and 21 assists in 123 games, although just six goals and four assists have come in the 2024/25 campaign.

His best season for the Reds came in the 2023/24 campaign, where he chipped in with 18 goals and 13 assists in 54 games. His Sofascore stats from that season were impressive, where he managed 3 shots per game and created 11 big chances.

United signing Nunez would be a shock, and perhaps not the most popular move straight away. However, that is similar to the Cavani deal, with Neville suggesting people were unconvinced, although for different reasons.

The former United striker turned out to be a massive success over time, and whilst a potentially costly signing from rivals Liverpool may take longer to win the Old Trafford faithful over, it is possible.

Should United get this deal over the line, Amorim will be desperate for Nunez to become his own Cavani and help take his side to the next level.