Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has insisted that striker Edinson Cavani will not be leaving the club this month.
The Uruguayan has scored 19 goals in 49 appearances for the Red Devils since joining on a free transfer in October 2020, although his spell in England has been hampered by injury problems.
Cavani agreed a one-year extension after looking all set to leave Old Trafford last summer but he has recently been linked with a January move to La Liga giants Barcelona.
But Rangnick, speaking ahead of United's Premier League game at home to Wolves on Monday, made it clear Cavani is very much in his plans. “We had quite a few conversations in the last couple of weeks — probably the player with whom I have spoken most,” said the German coach.
“I told him from the very first day that, for me, he is a highly important player. He is probably the only one who can play as a striker back to goal and face to goal.
“His professionalism, his work ethic is just amazing and I told him that I desperately want him to stay until the end of the season. He knows that.
“He also knows how highly I rate him and how highly I respect him, and that was also the reason why I played him [in the 3-1 win against Burnley] from the beginning together with Cristiano [Ronaldo].
“I will definitely not let him go. For me, he is a highly important player for the rest of the season, still playing in three competitions, so we will definitely need Edi.
“I would rather have another Edi on top of that but for me it’s clear that Edi has to stay.
“With regard to the other players, yes, our squad is maybe a little bit too big with regards to numbers.
“But we still have Covid, we have three competitions, as I said, and I think we could do with a bigger squad than maybe in times without Covid.”
Anthony Martial is one of United's attacking options who looks set to leave in January with Sevilla reportedly close to agreeing a loan deal for the French international.
Manchester United 3 Burnley 1: player ratings
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David de Gea 6. Kicked an early effort at the feet of Matic. His defence could be clumsy in front and he couldn’t get to Lennon’s shot after Bailly lost possession. PA -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka 6. Back in the team and blocked a Gudmundsson shot on 10 mins. He’ll have far tougher tests but needs to get his form and confidence back. Still, a win’s a win and three goals for a team struggling to score can’t be sniffed at. AP Photo -
Eric Bailly 5. Solid against Burnley’s physical threat, but then lost possession to Lennon, who scored for Burnley. Off after 65 mins after briefly going down. He’s got the Africa Cup on Nations to come. EPA -
Harry Maguire 5. Poor at Newcastle and didn’t convince when he mistimed a header which let Wood through. Went down after 93 mins following another Burnley attack when he again looked uncomfortable. EPA -
Luke Shaw 7. Back in the side and set Ronaldo up after five minutes, then ran forward himself for a shot wide of the goal after 19 minutes as United started well. Very good in the first half and more touches than any player on the pitch. EPA -
Nemanja Matic 6. Steady and unspectacular in the middle – maybe he could have done more to stop Burnley’s goal - but United had more energy, drive and goals than in recent matches in a back-to-basics performance against a side who hadn’t played since December 12. Too many square balls in first half, so United were more direct in the second. Getty Images -
Scott McTominay 8. Put his side ahead with a much-needed goal – his first of the season - after seven minutes. Nearly got United’s third when a fine strike was pushed against the post – Ronaldo then knocked it in. Saw a 63rd minute shot tipped over. Covered ground all over the pitch and his name was sung by an appreciative Stretford End. Man of the match. EPA -
Mason Greenwood 7. Set up the opener for McTominay and was involved in the build up play for the third from the right. Ran for everything and shot from the left and right side of goal. Set up Ronaldo for a header on 48 minutes, had a shot saved himself on 50 minutes. AP Photo -
Jadon Sancho 6. Played on the left. Started brightly in the rain, then caught out dribbling and lost possession. Smart combinations with Shaw, one led to a Sancho shot which was nudged in by Ben Mee for United’s second. A shame it wasn’t credited to him. Getty Images -
Edinson Cavani 6. Quiet first half then set up Greenwood to shoot on 50 minutes. Shot on target himself after 70 mins after Ronaldo teed him up with a header, but he was offside. Not as dynamic as at Newcastle, but better for United to have him back playing. Getty Images -
Cristiano Ronaldo 7. Stayed onside and was clean through after 5 minutes before sidefooting wide. Furious with himself for not doing better after being set up by McTominay on 30. Got the goal, a tap in on 36 minutes – but he was in the right position. Far more involved than at Newcastle with seven shots – though just the goal was on target. Getty Images -
SUB: Raphael Varane 6. On for Bailly on 65. Will surely be starting game when he’s back at full fitness. PA -
SUB: Diogo Dalot NA. On for Greenwood on 81. Attacked. AP Photo -
SUB: Fred NA. On for Ronaldo after 92. EPA -
BURNLEY RATINGS: Wayne Hennessey, 7 – The former Palace keeper did well to keep the score down to 3-1 with a cavalcade of wonderful saves at Old Trafford. EPA -
Charlie Taylor, 5 – Looked all over the place for the opener and failed to bring any kind of confident play to Burnley’s back four. Getty Images -
Ben Mee, 4 – His communication alongside Tarkowski was all off with his lacklustre showing being capped off by an unfortunate own goal. Reuters -
James Tarkowski, 5 – A few well-timed interceptions couldn’t make up for the 29-year-old’s inability to lead his defence capably. EPA -
Matt Lowton, 4 – Looked all out of sorts for the second and third United goals to counteract some nice defending early on. PA -
Dwight McNeil, 7 – What he lacked in pace he more than made up for with some scintillating passing and creativity in the final third. PA -
Jack Cork, 4 – Regularly went missing for the Clarets with his most frequent contributions being when he was outmuscled in possession. AP Photo -
Ashley Westwood, 4 – The Englishman just wasn’t at the races and was completely overrun in midfield from beginning to end. PA -
Johann Berg Guðmundsson, 6 – Was able to produce some nice runs to go alongside his great work rate despite falling away in the second half. Getty Images -
Aaron Lennon, 8 – Ran his socks off all night, continually won the ball back, created several opportunities and even got on the scoresheet. Getty Images -
Chris Wood, 5 – Held the ball up well at times which, unfortunately, didn’t make up for his poor control and lack of killer instinct. Reuters -
SUB: Erik Pieters, N/A – Used as a way to steady the status quo in the final 10 minutes en-route to Burnley’s defeat. PA -
SUB: Dale Stephens, 6 – Did well to close the ball down, force the issue and try to regain control for the visitors in the middle of the park. PA -
SUB: Matej Vydra, N/A – Made some nice runs but ultimately failed to create enough of an impact in his brief cameo. PA
Martial has expressed his desire to leave United and Rangnick has left the forward out of recent squads. “He made it very clear that he wants to leave and, in a way, I can understand his wish to leave and to try to play more regularly somewhere else,” Rangnick said.
“But, again, it’s a question not only of what he wants to do but it’s also a question of which kind of clubs are interested in him and do they meet the demands of the club, so we have to wait and see.
Dean Henderson, Donny van de Beek, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard could also move on in search of more first-team action, while injured midfielder Paul Pogba is entering the final months of his contract.
Rangnick said of Dutch international Van de Beek: “So far as I have got to know him he’s got a top mentality, he works hard in every training session.
“He’s a team player through and through and there will be games where he will get his chance to play I’m sure.
“I also had a longer conversation with him last week about that and, again, of course it’s difficult for him right now because he also wants to play for the Dutch national team.
“He wants to qualify for himself and play in the World Cup in Qatar and in order to do that he needs to get game time here.
“But I still believe that we should keep him, that he should stay here, definitely until the end of this season and try to get as much game time as he possibly can.”
