Ralf Rangnick Admits He 'Desperately' Wants This Forward To Remain At Manchester United

Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has said he "desperately" wants Edinson Cavani to stay at Old Trafford until the end of the 2021-22 season.

Cavani, whose current contract is due to expire in the summer of 2022, wants to leave Manchester United during the underway winter market in order to gain regular game time.

The 34-year-old forward, who moved from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to Manchester United on a free transfer in 2020, has been linked with FC Barcelona and Juventus in the January transfer window.

"He knows that I will definitely not let him go. I told him from the very first day that, for me, he is a highly important player. He is probably the only one who can play as a striker back to goal and face to goal. And, as I said, his professionalism, his work ethic is just amazing and I told him that I desperately want him to stay until the end of the season. He knows that. He also knows how highly I rate him and how highly I respect him," Rangnick was quoted by BBC Sport.

Cavani, who has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester United, came off the bench to net a second-half equalizer in the Red Devils' 1-1 draw with Newcastle last week in the Premier League. The Uruguayan forward partnered with Cristiano Ronaldo in the front line during Manchester United's 3-1 victory over Burnley three days later.

"We will definitely need Edi. I would rather have another Edi on top of that but for me, it's clear that Edi has to stay," added Rangnick in the same interview.

It was previously reported that Manchester United would prefer selling Anthony Martial instead of Cavani during the January market.

With Martial informing the club that he wants to leave Old Trafford during the ongoing transfer window, Rangnick has accepted the Frenchman's wish, provided a suitable club comes knocking at Man Utd's door for the 26-year-old forward.

"He [Martial] made it very clear that he wants to leave and, in a way, I can understand his wish to leave and to try to play more regularly somewhere else. But, again, it's a question not only of what he wants to do but it's also a question of which kind of clubs are interested in him and do they meet the demands of the club, so we have to wait and see," Rangnick said further.

With 31 points in 18 games, Manchester United are placed seventh in the 2021-22 Premier League table but Rangnick's side still has three games in hand. The Red Devils will host Wolves at Old Trafford in the league Monday.