Both Cavani and Ronaldo are on the wrong side of their 30s, but continue to be preferred by Ralf Rangnick.
While their displays have not been bad, their presence could be hindering some of Manchester United’s younger players.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-year deal with Manchester United last year that will run until July 2023, while Cavani was offered a one-year extension before the 2021-22 season began.
Burley believes the duo are not a long-term solution and compared the situation of the club with that of the teams above Manchester United in the league table:
Manchester United need to be careful with the players they sign
After doing well under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United had a mixed summer transfer window last year.
While the arrivals of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane were steps in the right direction, the club perhaps repeated past mistakes by signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
While the Portuguese has proven he wasn’t just a glitzy signing with his goals, he might only be a short-term fix, as Burley hinted in his comments.
Ralf Rangnick gave 19-year-old winger Anthony Elanga an opportunity to impress against Aston Villa. The manager has several talented young players to choose from, but it seems like he does not trust them enough.
Rangnick’s proactive style of play was evident for the first-time against Aston Villa, but the team could not sustain it in the second half.
The display against Villa came sans Cristiano Ronaldo, who was injured. Only time will tell if Rangnick will field a lineup without the Portuguese ace in the coming months.
Cavani, on the other hand, has shown good work-rate on the pitch despite his age. However, Burley’s comment that he is possibly a short-term fix also holds true.
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