Valencia signs Uruguay veteran Cavani from Man Utd on 2-year deal
Edinson Cavani gestures as he attends a La Liga match between Valencia and Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Spain, Aug. 29, 2022. (AFP Photo)


La Liga powerhouse Valencia on Monday confirmed the signing of Uruguay veteran Edinson Cavani from Manchester United on a two-year deal.

Cavani had been a free agent after his contract expired at Old Trafford earlier this year, and the 35-year-old has since been courted by several top European clubs.

But it is the La Liga side the veteran attacker has opted to join, linking up with Gennaro Gattuso's team on a free transfer, with his contract set to run until June 2024.

It is a transfer that means Cavani will have played in four of Europe's five major leagues. He left Danubio in his home country to join Palermo in Serie A, before subsequent spells with Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain and United.

A six-time Ligue 1 winner at the Parc des Princes, he departed as the club's all-time top scorer, with 200 goals to his name, when he switched to the Premier League in 2020.

Struggles with injuries and fluctuating form saw him net just 12 times in 41 top-flight appearances for United, with the nearest he came to silverware being the 2021 Europa League final loss to Villarreal.

At the international level, Cavani won the 2011 Copa America with Uruguay and has been a member of three World Cup squads, including the team that finished fourth in South Africa in 2010.

Having helped his side qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year, he will hope to make a fourth appearance at the tournament following his arrival at Valencia.