Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani has revealed he had the opportunity to make a move in the summer transfer window but eventually decided to stay on at the Parc des Princes.
The Uruguayan forward was linked with a number of clubs in the summer, with Arsenal prominent among them as the Gunners are short on genuine strikers, per Sami Mokbel for MailOnline.
However, the north London outfit missed out, and Cavani's latest comments suggest he is happy at PSG having made the decision to stay on despite numerous offers from elsewhere, per French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche (h/t Chisanga Malata in the Daily Star): "Many transfer opportunities presented themselves. But PSG has always trusted me. This is the club who can give me what is better. If it could happen like in the second half of the season, with very good results that make me want to continue on this path."
Cavani could have been a terrific signing for Arsenal as he is a top-class striker, and the Gunners are crying out for a player to compete with, and play alongside Olivier Giroud, per Bleacher Report's Andy Brassell:
Cavani is a fantastic finisher and would likely thrive in the Arsenal system, especially as he would be the No. 1 striker at the Emirates, unlike at PSG where he has often been in the shadow of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The 28-year-old has already scored four Ligue 1 goals in five matches of the new season, per WhoScored.com.
His recent double against Bordeaux was quite spectacular, per BT Sport Football:
In all likelihood, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will have to go in search of an added striker in the January transfer window as his current squad does not look good enough to compete for the Premier League title across a whole campaign.
However, any chance of signing Cavani seems to have disappeared. He is happy at PSG currently, and his continued good form will not only improve his own mood, but make PSG even less likely to sell him, at least not for anything other than a very high transfer fee.
Arsenal are thus reportedly planning to look elsewhere in France and bid for Marseille's Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi in January, per French newspaper L'Equipe (h/t Adam Skinner in the Express).
The 21-year-old is reportedly valued at £22 million and has had a similarly impressive start to Cavani in the new Ligue 1 season, netting three times and providing two assists in five matches so far, per WhoScored.
Though still young and largely unproven, Batshuayi is a clear talent and could be a decent long-term buy for the Gunners.
He certainly ticks many boxes for Wenger, and with his relative affordability and youth, he seems a more likely January signing for Arsenal than Cavani.
via http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2566903-arsenal-transfer-news-edinson-cavani-comments-on-psg-future-latest-rumours