Manchester United's acquisition of a 33-year-old Edinson Cavani on a one-year contract [with the option to extend for a further year] certainly raised a few eyebrows in the summer transfer window and understandably so.
The former Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain forward isn't getting any younger and, while on a reported wage of £174,000 per week at Old Trafford, many questioned whether United were heading in the right direction when they added the experienced Uruguayan to their ranks.
Despite the initial doubt, however, it has turned out to be a stroke of genius from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team.
Cavani has contributed 12 goals in 33 appearances for the Reds this season, including a brace against Roma in the Europe League semi-final on Thursday night.
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The veteran striker has also become a valuable member of the first-team squad by providing inexperienced players with priceless knowledge and advice on the pitch.
He was spotted giving centre-back Axel Tuanzebe some valuable advice in training ahead of the club's Champions League win against his former side PSG in October.
Back in January, he also handed out some pre-match tips to Paul Pogba before their Premier League clash against Burnley.
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Cavani's words of wisdom are obviously more of a help than a hinderance to the French midfielder, who listens intently to the experienced Uruguayan.
It doesn't stop there, either. Footage from February's emphatic 9-0 win against Southampton shows the influential striker teaching Marcus Rashford about off-the-ball movement.
The England international then used that advice to score against Ralph Hasenhüttl's side.
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You can see this moment in the below YouTube clip from Manchester United's YouTube channel at 2:23 onwards.This is brilliant stuff.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is certainly aware of Cavani's influence since his arrival.
In fact, he compared his impact to that of former United striker Teddy Sheringham, when he first arrived on the scene at Old Trafford from Spurs in 1997.
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"Teddy came in 1997 with his experience and I learnt a lot from him. I think he [Edinson Cavani] has come in and almost been a similar type of influence," Solskjaer told Sky Sports.
"We were young strikers learning off Teddy, now Cavani has Mason, Marcus and Anthony learning off him. Edinson has been a great addition."
Whether Cavani will stay at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future is uncertain but it sounds like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is eager to keep him on the books.
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Do you think United should go all out to keep the 34-year-old striker?
Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football, Manchester United, Roma, Premier League, Champions League, Edinson Cavani
