F365’s Early Winner: Edinson Cavani and his agent

Will Edinson Cavani score goals for Manchester United? In the bigger picture, it almost doesn’t matter. Whether he nets three or 30 next season, the fact the Red Devils are doing this deal at all highlights yet again their shambolic approach to recruitment.

The Uruguay striker is widely reported to be heading to England this weekend to join the Red Devils on what some sources suggest is a two-year deal. Among other things, United need a centre-forward and it seems they have got one, albeit a 33-year-old who no other club felt was worth the outlay required.

Likewise, Cavani’s agent wanted his big pay day and while we don’t know yet exactly what commission Walter Guglielmone – also the player’s brother – will earn this weekend, he certainly found the biggest patsy in European football at yet another vulnerable moment.

United have once again been a shambles during a window which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggested in April that the club could ‘exploit’. Instead, the Red Devils have bluffed their way through another supposedly pivotal summer while failing to offer even the illusion of intent to restore the club back to the top table of European football.

With four or five top-class signings required –  ideally a left-back, a centre-back, a centre-forward and a right-sided attacker – what they have got so far is a midfielder whom they had a free run at and a veteran striker who would rather be elsewhere.

Guglielmone laid it all out earlier in the year when no club could get Cavani out of PSG as his contract ran down. The striker wanted to “fulfill his dream” of joining Atletico Madrid but the Spanish club could never make the figures add up.

“If it were for money,”  the agent said, “Edi would have gone to England, Manchester or Chelsea.”

Even as a free agent, Cavani is too expensive for Atletico, and Benfica too. Apparently, Guglielmone was demanding from the Portuguese side a three-year deal worth £8.8million a year – around £170,000 a week – as well as the same in commission for himself.

Less than a year after supposedly baulking at paying Mino Raiola what he wanted to take Erling Haaland to Old Trafford, Woodward has seemingly pulled his own pants down for Guglielmone.

After losing Haaland to Dortmund, United panicked by signing Odion Ighalo on loan and they appear to be making the same mistake again. We know Woodward is sensitive to criticism – you would think he would be used to it by now – and to avoid the flak for doing nothing, he would rather throw money at Cavani and his brother just to be seen to be doing something.

Woodward cannot sell Cavani to United fans as anything but another stop gap. He may well point to the last veteran striker whom he signed as a free agent after leaving PSG, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but Ibra scored 38 Ligue 1 goals in his final season in France. Cavani netted four. Zlatan was a coup – he was clearly Jose Mourinho’s man and the Swede was signed early to stave off the threat of rival clubs. For Cavani, just like Donny van de Beek, United have no competition.

They have no competition either for Jadon Sancho and the Borussia Dortmund winger will be the poster boy for United’s window, regardless of whether they finally stump up the money they could have paid two months ago.


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“I know that we at Manchester United are one of the biggest, and the biggest, financially well-off,” said Solskjaer when he suggested United could exploit the current climate. “I’m sure we are capable, when we get back to normality, that we can do the business that we want to.”

What United managers want and what Woodward can do are two different things. The image United attempt to portray – remember the transfer bunkers and 804 right-backs –  is the polar opposite to the reality of their recruitment structure, with a head of corporate development as a part-time transfer negotiator. Solskjaer is desperate for a young English talent who although expensive, could play in United’s forward line for perhaps a decade. In Cavani, he’s getting a veteran no one else really wants who himself would rather be somewhere else.

We are but two or three days away from Woodward briefing that United are stepping up the search for a sporting director to buy enough time for he and his cronies to make the same mistakes again in the New Year.

Ian Watson

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Woodward offered advice over Man Utd-Cavani deal

Man Utd Chief Executive Ed Woodward has been advised to make a move for former PSG forward Edison Cavani.

Cavani had been with PSG since 2013, as he joined from Serie A side, Napoli. The striker had a remarkable goal-scoring record for the French side.

Over his seven years at the club, he featured in 301 games in all competitions, and he scored 200 goals.


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The 33-year-old departed the French club in the summer as his contract with them expired.

He is yet to join a new club, and he has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United.

The Red Devils have been linked with a number of attacking players this summer. But they are yet to get any of them through the door.

Cavani is one player to be linked with United. talkSPORT are reporting that they have opened talks to sign the forward.

ESPN transfer expert Gabriele Marcotti has now urged United not to be put off by Cavani’s wage demands when discussing a potential deal:

“What bugs me about Cavani is, and unfortunately we in the media are guilty of this because we talk to someone and we pair up whatever they say, and they’re like ‘oh Cavani’s wages are too high’.

“Cavani’s wages, let me remind everybody, Cavani’s wages are zero right now. Cavani makes nothing, okay. So you can go and negotiate with him. Was he making a ton of money before? Yes, absolutely.

“It doesn’t mean you have to go and give him that same money now. So if you think he’s the right guy and you can give him a year plus an option if he plays certain minutes or whatever.

“You can do things to protect yourself for this one season while you go and pursue your longer-term targets. I think that is a really difficult thing for me to understand.

“Like I said though, I’m giving Ed [Woodward] and United the benefit of the doubt until 11 pm BST [on Monday].”

Sanders on Wasserman Schultz challenger: 'I have no idea about Tim Canova'

Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.) is declining to back Tim Canova in his second bid to oust Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz from her South Florida House seat.

“I have no idea about Tim Canova, I honestly don’t,” Sanders told the Miami Herald when asked if he plans to support Canova’s second Democratic primary bid. “I know nothing about Tim Canova.”

Sanders previously endorsed the Nova Southeastern University law professor’s first campaign against Wasserman Schultz, then the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, in May 2016.

“Clearly I favor her opponent, his views are much closer to mine than to Wasserman Schultz’s,” Sanders said at the time.

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Canova campaigned to unseat Wasserman Schultz amid allegations that the DNC under her watch favored Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election claim Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton qualifies to run for county commissioner in Florida MORE over Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.

Thousands of leaked emails from the DNC surfaced on the eve of the party’s convention last summer, including embarrassing exchanges about Sanders, eventually forcing Wasserman Schultz to step down as party head. 

Canova announced last week that he would mount another challenge to Wasserman Schultz in 2018. He raised large amounts of money for his first bid last year, but eventually lost by 14 points.

In an email to the Herald, Canova acknowledged the importance of Sanders’s previous endorsement, even though he had voiced disappointment last year about Sanders not campaigning with him in the state.

“I was thrilled when he endorsed me last year,” Canova said. “His endorsement gave us an important lift and I’m forever grateful for his support at such a critical time.”

When asked about the lack of endorsement in an email, Canova campaign spokesperson Deborah Dion said that “Tim announced his candidacy for 2018 only last week and again he has not sought any endorsements from any politicians at any level, Senator Sanders’ remarks do not change anything in our campaign or messaging.”

On his campaign website, Canova argues that Wasserman Schultz “failed to satisfactorily account for the DNC staff’s behavior under her leadership, which including attempting to tip the scales in favor of one presidential candidate versus the other.”

A spokesperson for Sanders did not immediately return a request for comment.

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Dem to lead PAC focused on gaining control of Virginia House

A Democrat who earlier this year ran unsuccessfully in the Virginia gubernatorial primary will lead a new PAC aimed at wresting control of the state’s House of Delegates from Republicans.

According to The Washington Post, former Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) will lead the Win Virginia PAC, which has so far raised $260,000. 

“It’s a unique opportunity because we have such dynamic candidates up and down the ticket and such an enthusiasm gap in our favor,” Perriello told the Post.

“We think this is the year to break some of the normal rules of the political landscape in Virginia.”

Virginia House Minority Leader David Toscano (D) said that President Trump’s victory last November pushed donors to begin contributing money to the PAC.

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“It was the Trump election that led them to say, ‘We have to up our game a bit,’” Toscano told the newspaper. “And the first chance to really do that is in the Virginia House races.”

The group will focus on ways to employ technology in addition to raising money for Virginia campaigns.

Perriello lost to Ralph Northam, the state’s current lieutenant governor, in the race for the Democratic nomination for governor. Northam will face Republican nominee Ed Gillespie in November’s gubernatorial election.

Voters in November will select candidates for all 100 seats in Virginia’s House of Delegates, where Republicans currently hold 66 seats. 

–This report was updated at 10:23 a.m.

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Lewandowski joins pro-Trump outside group

President Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski has joined the pro-Trump super PAC America First, making him the latest campaign veteran to join an outside group aimed at boosting the president’s agenda.

Lewandowski, who also has his own Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, has picked up with America First as a senior adviser and spokesman, the group announced Thursday.

America First also has Trump campaign digital director Brad Parscale and spokeswoman Katrina Pierson on its roster.

The group was beset by departures shortly after its launch and came under criticism from the White House for not giving Trump enough air cover during the healthcare debate.

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But it has hit its stride since then, spending millions on ads boosting GOP efforts to repeal and replace ObamaCare, and to bolster Trump’s trips abroad. The group has spots in the works on tax reform and has played in campaign elections, targeting Democrat Jon Ossoff ahead of Georgia’s special House election earlier this year.

America First is one of three outside groups supporting Trump.

The oldest of the groups is Great America Alliance, which claims to have raised and spent some $30 million on behalf of Trump’s campaign and his political agenda in the White House.

That group counts former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) and former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) as advisers. Two key members of its staff are also assisting former state Sen. Kelli Ward’s primary challenge to Sen. Jeff FlakeJeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeGOP lawmakers stick to Trump amid new criticism Kelly holds double-digit lead over McSally in Arizona: poll Trump asserts his power over Republicans MORE (R-Ariz.), who has been critical of Trump.

A third group, Making America Great, was founded by former campaign deputy manager David Bossie with the financial backing of conservative mega-donor Rebekah Mercer, and has run ads pressuring GOP lawmakers to back Trump’s agenda. 

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Economist Argues 'Pie in the Sky' Sanders Will, in Fact, 'Make Economy Great Again'

As the Democratic primary race tightens, Hillary Clinton has been trying to cast opponent Bernie Sanders as unrealistic and “pie in the sky,” but a leading University of Massachusetts economist says such criticisms are “dead wrong” and, in fact, the Vermont senator’s proposals are precisely what will “make the economy great again.”

In a column published at The Nation on Tuesday, Robert Pollin, distinguished professor in economics at UMass Amherst and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), examines the major policy items under Sanders’ economic agenda. These include a single-payer healthcare system; increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour; free tuition at public colleges and universities, to be financed by a “Robin Hood” tax on Wall Street transactions; and large-scale public investments in renewable energy and infrastructure.

Pollin’s conclusion: this program works, handily.

“All of his major proposals are grounded in solid economic reasoning and evidence,” Pollin states.

“Overall, the Sanders program is capable of raising living standards and reducing insecurity for working people and the poor, expanding higher educational opportunities, and reversing the decades-long trend toward rising inequality,” Pollin writes. “It could bring Wall Street’s dominance under control and help prevent a repeat of the financial crisis. It will also strongly support investments in education, clean energy, and public infrastructure, generating millions of good jobs in the process.”

Pollin’s analysis builds on previous research, including his own. It takes a big-picture look at the potential impact of Sanders’ policies, refuting claims made by Clinton and her supporters that they would stymie job and economic growth.

When discussing the minimum wage increase, Pollin dismisses the idea that employers would not be able to absorb the cost of the wage increase. Citing a recent study by PERI colleague Jeannette Wicks-Lim and himself, Pollin states, “even fast-food restaurants, which employ a disproportionate share of minimum wage workers, are likely to see their overall business costs rise by only about 3.4 percent per year during a four-year phase-in for a $15 minimum wage.”

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