What can Manchester United expect from Edinson Cavani?

Edinson Cavani training with Manchester United this week. United fans will be hoping the striker can show the form which has brought 400 goals during to his career. Picture: Getty

Edinson Cavani is waiting for a last-minute decision from manager Ole Gunnar Soslkjaer on whether he can make his Manchester United debut against Chelsea on Saturday, but already former colleagues in Paris are tipping him to restore the prestige of United’s number seven shirt.

The former Paris St Germain striker, handed the number seven following a transfer deadline day free transfer, is nearing match fitness but United do not need to rush him back, with Marcus Rashford in top form and Mason Greenwood back in the squad, so he could start on the bench.

Under normal circumstances that would be cause for huge fanfare, after all the striker is a global superstar rated only just below greats like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Lionel Messi.

A player who is closing in on 400 career goals for PSG, Napoli, Palermo, and Uruguay. But the way he arrived at Old Trafford, as almost a last-minute after-thought on transfer deadline day when United failed to secure other targets, has lowered expectations.

He is 33, a free transfer, hasn’t played since March and has Rashford and Greenwood to get past if he wants to play for Manchester United regularly under the current system.

Despite all that, there is an eager sense of expectation among United fans at what the Uruguayan could do in England. Could he emulate Zlatan Ibrahimovic, another former PSG striker of course, and prove that age is meaningless and class permanent? Could he bring glamour and personality to a United side that is crying out for those qualities?

His former teammate in Paris, goalkeeper Keylor Navas, has few doubts about the impact Cavani can make in English football.

The two were hoping to come face to face in the Parc des Princes in midweek when United secured a famous 2-1 Champions League group stage victory against last season’s losing finalists. But Cavani was left at home for that one and so it is Chelsea who now fear his impact.

Navas said: “Cavani is one of the best strikers playing in Europe and I am convinced that he will do well in the Premier League. Of course, he needs to adapt quickly, that is the same for any player moving clubs. But he’s a professional and it’s a challenge he will take on, I have no doubts.”

Some critics have questioned Cavani’s motivation for a move to Old Trafford, having been touted unsuccessfully to just about every other major club in Europe over the last few months.

Harry Redknapp described the signing as a major risk, others have wondered whether the free transfer — on a one-year contract — is just one last payday for a player who is already past his best.

Navas, however, is having nothing of it. He said: “He has had such a big career and I can understand why he would like to experience a new league. What United fans will love about him is that he always delivers the absolute maximum on the pitch. He will fight for the full 90 minutes and never stop. Yes, he scores goals. But he also works so hard. He battles against rival defenders and he has great speed inside the penalty area, he sees an opportunity so quickly and he takes it.”

Navas’s verdict is encouraging for United fans, who have been wary of getting over-excited about the Uruguayan until they have seen him in the flesh; but the fact he has been given the number seven shirt adds an extra frisson to the wait.

So many great players have worn that particular number for United over the years — from George Best to David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo to Eric Cantona, Andrei Kanchelskis to Bryan Robson. It’s a shirt which the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Angel di Maria, and Memphis Depay notably failed to deal with, but it’s not one that is likely to faze Cavani, who also wore it in Paris.

Navas added: “It’s true that taking on the number seven shirt at United is a complicated challenge because the players who have worn it before are icons. But I know Edinson is attracted by challenges, he likes that. He will do everything he can to live up to the shirt.”

Cavani has already won over teammates at Old Trafford with his work ethic in training as he battles to persuade manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer he is ready to play a part against Frank Lampard’s Chelsea.

How often Cavani plays remains to be seen, and it may take a tweak of the system used to beat PSG in Paris to accommodate him. But, essentially, this is the first time United have had a powerful centre-forward in their ranks since allowing Romelu Lukaku to leave prematurely for Inter Milan; and his goals record, and attitude, suggest he still has the quality and hunger to make an impact.

Certainly, Navas — who may well face his former teammate when United and PSG play again in the Champions League at Old Trafford on December 2 — has no doubts it will happen. “I am certain he is going to do well,” he said.

It’s a statement every Manchester United fan will be delighted to hear.