Barcelona were close to signing former Manchester United forward in the winter window before he joined Valencia.
Barcelona had a busy January transfer window earlier this year as they added a number of attacking reinforcements to assist Xavi revive an unproductive campaign.
Ferran Torres, Adama Traore (on loan), and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were all acquired by the Blaugrana and contributed to the team’s second-place La Liga finish.
A new report from Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona might not have chosen Aubameyang as their striker during the 2022 winter transfer window.
Alvaro Morata, who was out on loan at Juventus at the time, was the player the Catalans initially wanted to sign. However, according to the source, Barça turned their attention to a certain Edinson Cavani when it became evident that the Spaniard would not be arriving.
Under temporary manager Ralf Rangnick, the Uruguayan international was at Manchester United at the time and was having difficulty getting into games. It had led to rumors regarding his future at Old Trafford, and a transfer to Barcelona was on the verge of happening.
The striker’s entourage was approached by Barça about a prospective move to Camp Nou, according to the source, and they responded extremely favorably. Xavi and co.
considered the seasoned forward to be a strong fit because of his track record, knack for scoring goals, and the physical presence he would provide.
As a result, discussions about a potential transfer were also undertaken with Manchester United, who were willing to let Cavani depart for a small sum because he was not a part of Rangnick’s strategy and they wanted to save his salaries.
Thus, it was thought that things were well along, but as Aubameyang had lost favor with Arteta, Barcelona soon learned of his availability. The Catalan giants then turned their focus to the Gabonese forward since he better matched their objectives.
The Cavani operation was eventually abandoned, and Aubameyang joined Barcelona. He eventually scored 12 goals, sharing the club’s scoring lead with Depay. The 33-year-old, though, left Camp Nou this past summer to sign with Chelsea.
Cavani, meanwhile, signed a free agent contract with Valencia in the summer after leaving Manchester United. Later tonight in La Liga, when the two teams play each other at the Mestalla, he will square off against Barcelona.
