Barcelona the chosen destination by wantaway Manchester United striker

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani could be on his way to FC Barcelona in January. New manager Xavi Hernandez is determined to reinforce his attack as soon as possible, and the wantaway striker may be the solution he is looking for.

The Uruguay international had been enjoying a good spell at Old Trafford, but the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo over the summer saw him falling down the pecking order in the current campaign. As such, what was once a comfortable starting spot at Manchester United turned into limited minutes, and according to Marca, Cavani has accepted an offer from the Catalan giants.

Over at the Camp Nou, Barcelona has been dealt with blow after blow. Before Xavi's return, the club had to start the season while dealing with the exit of former captain Lionel Messi, coupled with the departure of Antoine Griezmann. Unfortunately, Ansu Fati returned to action for just a few weeks before picking up another long-term injury. Widely perceived to be Messi's heir, Fati has shown a lot of potential but he has been spending most of his time in the treatment room for over a year now.

Then, new arrival Sergio Aguero was expected to provide stability and experience up front. However, a heart condition has forced him out of action, and he has just announced his permanent retirement from professional football.

Ousmane Dembele has also been hit with injuries, and the uncertainty about his contract extension has made him a risky player to rely on. As such, Xavi is keen on bring someone in to reinforce the front line even for a short period of time.

Cavani may be able to fill that void, with a short contract that lasts only until June 30, 2022.

Manchester United may be open to letting Cavani go, considering the limited amount of football that he has been playing. His last match was played way back on November 2 in a Champions League fixture against Atalanta. He also hasn't scored since United's Premier League win against Tottenham Hotspur at the end of October.

Barcelona had been targeting Manchester City forward Ferran Torres, but they are having a hard time meeting the Premier League Champions' valuation of the player. A move for Cavani is more economically feasible for the cash-strapped Catalans, and it remains to be seen if the deal will come to fruition in a few weeks. They first need to offload a number of high earners in order to free up funds and some room in the salary cap.