Bielsa would have adored him: Leeds surely regret missing out on ‘unbelievable’ ace – Our View

Follow us on Google Discover

Leeds United fans were probably relishing the fact that Manchester United lost the Europa League final, but surely even the most hardened Leeds supporter had to be impressed by Edinson Cavani.

The Uruguayan was once again United’s best player on Wednesday evening, he scored their goal, but his game was about so much more than that.

Cavani, at the age of 34, looked as though he was the hardest working player on the pitch, covering every blade of grass and chasing down every loose ball.

It’s no wonder Tim Vickery described him as a ‘box-to-box striker’ on BT Sport’s pre-match coverage on Tuesday (26/5/2021 7PM).

So, why should Leeds fans care? Well, they actually wanted to sign Cavani last summer.

Indeed, Andrea Radrizzani was very open when admitting he was looking at the Uruguayan as a potential option, and he must be kicking himself for not getting that deal over the line.

As good as Patrick Bamford has been this season, Cavani is simply a level above. He’s scoring in Europe as if he was 10 years younger than he is, he’s working harder than ever and he’s taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, averaging a goal every 137 minutes – in comparison, Bamford has netted on average every 180 minutes this term.

The Uruguayan has earnt so much praise from his teammates as well, with Luke Shaw recently dubbing him as ‘unbelievable’

“In the last month or so he’s been unbelievable,” Shaw said.

“Not just the goals but the experience he brings to the team and the younger players.

“He pushes them a lot and hopefully he can keep doing that towards the end of the season.”

To play as a striker in a Bielsa team you need to be great in three areas – movement, work-rate and finishing, and Cavani simply ticks every single box.

The Uruguayan would have fit right in at Leeds and we can’t help but think that Bielsa would have absolutely adored him if he was playing in his side.

Sadly, the Uruguayan ended up signing for one of Leeds’ biggest rivals, helping them to a second-place finish in the Premier League this term, and the Whites have been left to wonder what could have been.