Gary Neville says Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford ‘need another year’ of learning from Edinson Cavani at Manchester United.
Neville awarded Cavani man of the match for his display in the 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
After seeing a goal controversially ruled out for a foul in the build-up in the first half, Cavani headed United in front with 11 minutes to play.
It was his eighth goal since arriving on a free transfer last summer.
‘Cavani has been a brilliant example at United’
Cavani, who is valued at £6.3 million (as per Transfermarkt), only signed a one-year deal when he arrived at Old Trafford, meaning he’s set to depart at the end of the season.
But Neville reckons the squad can only benefit from his presence.
“There was a moment at the end which fans at home may or not have been watching,” he said on the Gary Neville podcast.
“Tottenham had a throw-in with about two minutes to go and he was moving between the centre-backs trying to stop the ball being thrown in.
“He’s organising where Greenwood should be, and I thought ‘do you know something, Mason Greenwood needs another year of Cavani up alongside him.
“He needs people who are mentors and can coach him on the pitch.
“He needs another year of him, Rashford needs another year of him.
“He’s been a brilliant example.”
‘If Cavani wants to go back to South America, there’s nothing United can do’
United journalist Samuel Luckhurst said on Friday that it looked as if Cavani was ‘only going one way’ – toward the exit door.
Neville reckons he’ll have the ‘option’ to stay put, but fears his heart may be set on another move.
“How do you replace what he’s doing at the moment if he decides that he does want to go back to South America and doesn’t want to take up that year?” he said.
“I suspect they’re going to give him the option. If he wants to go back, there’s nothing they can do.”
The 20-time Premier League champions could launch a blockbuster move for Erling Haaland or Harry Kane this summer to banish any no. 9 concerns (via The Athletic).
But if those deals don’t prove to be workable – Haaland will likely be eye-wateringly expensive and Spurs may flat-out refuse to sell Kane to a domestic rival – United should try to stand in Cavani’s way and persuade him to commit for one more year.