Two of European soccer’s financial heavyweights will duke it out for Edinson Cavani in the summer.
Manchester City and PSG want to sign the Napoli striker in the summer transfer window, and both clubs are willing to spend at least £40 Million ($62.9 million) to do so, according to The Star.
“The French club [PSG] signed [David] Beckham, 37, on deadline day last Thursday and their next planned transfer coup is to land Napoli star Cavani,” the report says.
“But the Uruguay ace, 25, is also City’s top target for the summer.
“So it’s shaping up to be a battle of the Middle East money men — Abu Dhabi-owned City versus PSG, bankrolled from Qatar.”
Cavani’s goals have seen him become one of Italian soccer’s leading lights. They’ve also made him one of the most expensive and in-demand strikers in the world. City and PSG hope to sign the Uruguayan marksman and boost their chances of conquering Europe and their respective domestic leagues.
Last August, Cavani signed a five-year contract extension tying him to Napoli until 2017. The deal reportedly contains a £54 million ($85 million) release clause, and the Italian club could be willing to sell its prized asset for around £40 million. PSG and City are thought to be in pole position in the Cavani race, while Arsenal and Chelsea are rumored to be interested in him as well.
Although the January transfer window closed Thursday, it didn’t end the speculation surrounding some of the game’s top players. Instead, it refocused it ahead of the summer transfer window, which opens on July 1. Cavani could very well be on the move in the next window, but it’s not yet clear where he will land. Wherever he ends up, his transfer will likely be one of the most lucrative and high-profile moves of 2013.
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Photo via Facebook/Edinson Cavani
