Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe has welcomed Edinson Cavani’s arrival at the club and says the Uruguayan will bring experience and quality to Old Trafford.
The 33-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Red Devils on deadline day following his release from Paris Saint-Germain, where he became the club’s record scorer during his nine years in the French capital.
Cavani has been a free agent throughout the summer but United waited until the final hours of the window to sign him and he will miss United’s game against Newcastle after the international break because he has to quarantine for a fortnight.
That’s led to many calling Cavani’s signing a ‘panic buy’ but Tuanzebe insists the former Napoli forward has plenty to offer to the team.
‘Edinson [Cavani] will be another addition to the team with his experience, his knowledge of the game and it’ll be great to learn from him,’ said Tuanzebe.
‘Any smart traits and how to mark someone of his calibre It’s what you want to come up against – the best – to improve your own abilities.
‘I like playing against talented players. The last twelve months I’ve had Anthony [Martial] to deal with and it’s been a real pleasure because he’s amazing in training.’
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a big admirer of the defender and the Norwegian’s decision to not sign a centre-back this summer was partly down to his belief in Tuanzebe.
The defender returned to first team training this week and he insists he’s keen to put a frustrating period behind him.
‘There were several injuries. It’s unfortunate and there was nothing I could do. It’s good to be back, I’m grateful to be back,’ said Tuanzebe.
‘Yes, it’s hard [to be away for so long]. You watch other players progress, you count the number of games you miss and you get messages asking when you will be back. But I was well surrounded’.
