Cavani refuses to guarantee Napoli stay amidst talk of Chelsea interest
Published:There are rumours that Chelsea will recruit Edinson Cavani to replace the out-of-contract Didier Drogba this summer, and the striker has increased the speculation by snubbing the chance to commit his future to Napoli.
Serie A’s joint-second most prolific performer this term was interviewed in the aftermath of his team’s 2-0 victory over Novara and asked outright whether he would stay if they miss out on Champions League qualification.
His reply was far from convincing: “I don’t know. The club will deal with this sort of thing. I am focused only on playing my football and winning every game.
“The club will think about the rest and they know what to do. For as long as I am at Napoli, I will continue to give my all for this team.”
Adding further intrigue to the situation was a claim in the Italian media that Chelsea had scouts at the stadium this weekend watching the Uruguayan, whose presence was thought to have influenced his response.
Cavani has expressed frustration in recent weeks at the way his side have drifted away from top-three contention after belatedly dragging themselves into the battle.
Prior to Saturday’s home success against relegation-destined Novara, they endured a five-match winless streak that severely wounded their challenge, the effects of an energy-sapping campaign on three fronts blamed for the slump.
Of course, a move to Stamford Bridge offers no guarantee of a second shot at Europe’s premier club competition, with the Blues sixth in the Premier League and 2/1 to qualify for next season’s edition courtesy of their league position.
The only other route in is by triumphing in this year’s instalment, though despite heading to Barcelona for the second leg of their semi-final with a 1-0 advantage, they are 13/2 to be crowned champions of Europe for the first time.
