Cavani not thinking about Napoli switch ahead of Champions League return

Edinson Cavani has dismissed rumours that he is set to move back to Napoli ahead of his return to the Stadio San Paulo with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

The Uruguay international has struggled to strike up a relationship with world-record signing Neymar both on and off the pitch since the former Barcelona striker arrived at the Parc de Princes for a €220m fee in 2017, and reports had suggested that a return to Serie A could provide a way out.

But Cavani, who scored 104 goals in 138 games during three successful seasons in Naples, says he isn’t thinking about a return to the club where he won the 2012 Coppa Italia.

"It's nice [to be linked with Napoli] but now I understand how the transfer market works, there are so many things to say," Cavani told reporters as he was awarded the Golden Foot at a ceremony in Monaco.
 
“The emotion of returning to Naples, in that stadium and with those people I do not see for a long time it will be special, I hope for a warm welcome from the fans.”

Napoli are unbeaten in this season’s Champions League, and blew the chance to top their group at the midway stage when they conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to PSG’s Angel di Maria. The French champions are one point behind Carlo Ancelotti’s side in third.

"Difficulty for PSG? It happens when you have teams like Liverpool and Napoli in the group, and then play them in the last two games,” said Cavani.

Cavani and Neymar clashed over penalty-taking duties for PSG during a Ligue 1 fixture last November, with the Brazilian usurping Cavani on the pitch despite the Uruguayan having been the club’s regular taker.
 
Cavani’s children still live in Naples, and the striker embraced his former team-mates ahead of the meeting between the two sides in Paris earlier this month, adding fuel to speculation that he would be open to a return to the club where he is still held in high regard.
 
He has scored 176 times for PSG since joining in 2013, winning the Ligue 1 title in four of his five seasons in France.