Chelsea do want Cavani but is £54m too much?

Sky Sports are reporting that Chelsea are fighting with PSG for the signature of Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani. Cavani scored 38 goals in all competitions last season for Napoli, and his record of 104 goals in 138 games is staggeringly good. However, Napoli are so far refusing to budge on their release clause figure of €63 million Euro, the equivalent of almost £54 million pounds.

PSG have reportedly lodged a bid of £43 million, but it is unlikely to be enough. Napoli don’t need to sell, and they will hold out for as close to that release clause as possible. It would be most surprising to see Cavani go in to the new season at Napoli, and while he would be a fantastic addition to any team, the question is whether he is worth such a staggering amount of money?

Cavani’s record is beyond reproach. He is a remarkable player, but does he justify the remarkable price-tag? Unfortunately, it depends which way you look at it. When Andy Carroll and Fernandinho are £35 million pound players, Cavani’s price seems reasonable. However, compare it to the £2 million Swansea paid for Michu or the £10 million United paid for Hernandez and it seems grossly inflated. That is the problem with these astronomical fees being considered – the amount any club is willing to pay is directly influenced by how much they require the player. So do we need Cavani?

Honestly, any team needs Cavani. He is one of the best in the world, and he would score bucket-loads at Stamford Bridge. Do I think we should pay it? Not necessarily. Signing Cavani means limited time for Lukaku, Torres and Ba. While it might not surprise me to see Ba move somewhere else this summer, Lukaku’s development is not best served by Cavani’s arrival. Similarly, it acknowledges that we have given up on Torres becoming the player we know he should be.

Replacing one £50 million pound striker with another is very exciting as a fan, but being completely honest, I’d rather we didn’t sign him right now. £54 million on the Uruguayan is the kind of transfer we’ve got used to making, but the point of Mourinho’s return is to build a dynasty – a legacy. That is far better accomplished by developing the players we have. Cavani could well guarantee instant success, but is it the right move for the club? I’m not so sure. He would improve us, but at what cost?

Tell us, would you sign Cavani for £54 million pounds?