Cristiano Ronaldo arrival at Man United made me want to leave - Edinson Cavani

Posted Friday, May 06, 2022 by ESPN

Edinson Cavani has said Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival at Manchester United made him consider leaving the club.

Cavani's season has been interrupted by injury and the 35-year-old striker has been limited to 18 appearances for the club in all competitions in a disappointing campaign that will end without a trophy and no Champions League football next season.

"At the moment it was done, I thought it was a good thing for Manchester to sign Cristiano," Cavani told ESPN Brasil. "Knowing a bit about the world of football these days, the first thing I did was call my [brother and manager Walter Fernando Guglielmone] and said: 'Fernando, if this had happened a week ago, I would ask you to find me another club.'

"But not because I didn't want to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. No. Because I had the opportunity to know him, and he is a great professional, with his targets, and that is perfect for a sportsman. But as I know, after years in football, how things work these days. That's why I spoke to my brother.

"It was more about understanding the situation. Not because I couldn't play in my role at Manchester, but because there are many things in football nowadays that are different from how they were with other people, how it was before, years ago. And since it happened suddenly, I felt nothing. I thought: We'll play, do the best we can.

Cristiano Ronaldo arrival at Man United made me want to leave - Edinson Cavani
Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani's time on the pitch together has been rare. Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images

"Regardless of my injuries at the club, which kept me out of the season for a bit... I experienced difficult situations, different from the ones I faced last year. And after a few months, I called my brother again and said, 'Remember what you said at the start of the season?' Before the season started. There are no secrets in football. For me, it's very clear how it works, and I have a way to see football that nobody takes away from me.

"So I called my brother and said that. And he was like: 'Stay positive, Edi, you will do a good job...' He told me a lot of things. I had no doubt that everything could be better, 'But let's see what happens from now on.' And everything happened like we all know and that's it, here we are, I'm trying to do my best to help my team, like everywhere else I've been, but my way of thinking and seeing football showed me that I was right in the first few months and on... I had my problems with injuries and I've been away for a while. But that was a bit of what happened in that stretch."

A source told ESPN Uruguay last week that Cavani seeks a two-year deal with a LaLiga club and barring that, he would consider playing in Portugal.