Diego Forlan claims to have seen no decline in “great player” Edinson Cavani, with Manchester United told they have another Zlatan Ibrahimovic on their hands.
The Red Devils took a punt on an ageing striker back in 2016 who had become a free agent after severing ties with Paris Saint-Germain.
Ibrahimovic defied his advancing years to star in English football, and is still going strong back at AC Milan after previously playing in MLS with LA Galaxy.
United have decided to head down a familiar route four years on from landing the Swede, with Cavani the latest former PSG frontman to join their ranks.
Questions are being asked of whether he can make the desired impact at 33 years of age, but fellow countryman Forlan is backing him to shine at Old Trafford.
The former United striker told the South China Morning Post: “Edinson is still a great player. I’ve not seen any decline in him yet. I think he’s a top signing for United, just like Zlatan was. He’s that type of player. He’ll lead by example, by how he trains and how he plays. He’ll be a positive influence for the young players.
“He’s a winner who has won lots of trophies, a goalscorer who has scored wherever he has been, he assists too. He’s strong and his physique will be fine for English football. He’s quick, he’s highly motivated.”
Cavani is not the only Uruguayan to have been snapped up by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the Red Devils also buying into the potential of Facundo Pellistri.
He is another that Forlan expects big things of, with the 18-year-old winger considered to boast qualities that can be compared to United legend Ryan Giggs.
“There was a lot of interest in the player and I could understand why,” added Forlan, who worked with the youngster at Penarol.
“He’s very quick and goes past players easily. He was doing that even when it was not a good moment for the team. He likes receiving the ball in midfield and moving forward with it. Even though he was young, I put him in my team every week.
“He can play on the right but also the left. He’s two-footed like I was and he tries to dribble like Ryan Giggs. I told Ole he has a lot of potential, but he has to keep developing.
“I told Facundo many times: ‘There are not players like you in Uruguay, but if you go to Europe, which attracts the best in the world, there will be many others who are very fast – and stronger than you too. You have potential but it depends on you to improve.”