Atletico Madrid have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to sign Edinson Cavani, who is also being targeted for a summer move by Chelsea.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Atletico Madrid are laying down the succession plan for Antoine Griezmann, who looks set to join Barcelona in the summer transfer window. Los Rojiblancos have set their sights on Edinson Cavani – a summer target for Chelsea – and are on the verge of agreeing a move with for PSG striker.
Cavani has been a true goalscoring extraordinaire at PSG ever since he got the chance to step out of the shadow of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whose departure saw him play in his preferred role through the middle. Indeed, the Uruguayan striker boasts mind boggling figures over the last two seasons, which have been the most productive of his senior career.
In 98 appearances during this period, Cavani has 89 goals to his name in addition to 18 assists, meaning he has directly contributed to more than one goal in every game. But, he has developed an acrimonious relationship with star signing Neymar over the course of the season, which has put his PSG future under a cloud.
His uncertain situation at Parc des Princes has piqued the interest of some prominent names in European football, with Chelsea and Atletico Madrid the two clubs showing the most concrete inclination towards securing his services.
At Chelsea, Alvaro Morata has endured a testing season after a blistering start to the campaign. While Olivier Giroud has proven to be an able replacement within the first-team setup for Antonio Conte, the Frenchman is only a stopgap solution at best.
Furthermore, with Morata being linked with a summer move away from Stamford Bridge, the need to sign a striker in the summer has accentuated for Chelsea. But, the Blues now face competition from Atletico Madrid, who seem to have taken the lead in pursuit of Cavani.
Los Rojiblancos look set to lose Antoine Griezmann in the summer, with the Frenchman looking set to join Barcelona. With Fernando Torres calling time on his Atletico Madrid stint as well, Diego Simeone will have just Diego Costa and Kevin Gameiro as his options upfront, making Cavani a viable target.
The report suggests that while Atletico Madrid would prefer holding on to Griezmann, having even offered him a pay rise while negotiating a hike in his €100 million release clause, they do not expect their star man to stay put at Wanda Metropolitano.
Meanwhile, the discussions they have held with Cavani and his entourage have been constructive, with the report suggesting that the player is even prepared to take a pay cut to join Atletico Madrid, which could prove to be a crushing blow to Chelsea.
However, there could yet be a twist in the tale, with Cavani insisting in the aftermath of PSG’s Coupe de France triumph over Les Herbiers that he is not looking for a move away from Parc des Princes.
