Manchester United Set To Lose Key Forward Who Wants To Join Boca Juniors: Report

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani could leave the Old Trafford club at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Cavani, who joined Manchester United as a free agent in the final days of the delayed summer transfer window last October, reportedly has decided to leave Europe after the ongoing campaign. The 34-year-old playmaker has chosen Argentina giants Boca Juniors as his next destination, reported Spanish publication Ole. International Business Times could not verify it independently.

Boca Juniors is a big name among South American soccer players and Uruguay's Cavani is no different. Earlier, former FC Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal had revealed that ending his career at Boca Juniors would be a "dream come true," even if it meant he would not play Champions League soccer in his last few seasons.

Cavani is expected to reject an extension offer from Manchester United to move to Argentina. He grew up watching Boca and has dreamt of wearing the iconic blue and gold jersey. Cavani has spoken with Boca chief Juan Roman Riquelme and has also agreed to take a pay cut, the Spanish report said.

Cavani has played 25 matches for Manchester United, across competitions, and has netted seven goals and provided two assists. Apart from portraying the role of a classic "number nine," the veteran has had a positive influence on the young players at Manchester United with his professionalism and the way he approaches his work on and off the field.

Manchester United's young forward Mason Greenwood is considered as the club's future star. The 19-year-old has already played 88 first-team matches since his senior debut in 2018 and has scored 21 goals and provided 10 assists. He looks up to Cavani.

"He's a top striker, you can tell the second he came here. The stuff he does, the way he dresses, the way he trains, the way he does everything right as a footballer really. He reminds me a lot of Juan [Mata] who's here as well, and Nemanja [Matic] – two great professional players. It's always good to have them in your team, as a young lad, to look up to and to take note of," Greenwood once told Manchester United's official website.

Cavani has been in Europe since he bagged a move from Uruguayan side Danubio to Italy's Palermo in 2007. In 2010-11, Cavani joined Napoli on loan before sealing a permanent transfer to Naples. While at the Italian club, he established himself as one of Europe's top playmakers, scoring 104 goals in 138 competitive appearances, across three seasons.

In the summer of 2013, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) paid Napoli $75 million and signed Cavani on a five-year contract. He spent seven seasons in Paris, helping the club win over 20 trophies except for the UEFA Champions League. PSG finished as runners-up in the elite European tournament in 2019-20, which turned out to be Cavani's last appearance for PSG. He left the French club with 200 goals in 301 competitive matches.