Manchester United prepared to swap Angel di Maria for Edinson Cavani

Manchester United are preparing a summer bid for Edinson Cavani from Paris Saint-Germain and are willing to give the French club Angel di Maria in exchange, according to the Daily Mail.

The Red Devils are unlikely to exercise the option of buying Radamel Falcao on a permanent transfer from Monaco in the summer following the Columbian's failure to live up to expectations. However, with Robin van Persie going back to his injury prone days, Louis van Gaal has to search for striking options to rejuvenate his frontline, which currently has Wayne Rooney as the only fit senior striker at the club.

Cavani, who has had a torrid time in France since his transfer from Napoli is a viable target, especially with the French giants willing to trade the striker with Di Maria. The Argentine made a £60m ($89m) move to Old Trafford in the summer but has struggled to find form in the Premier League and was sent off in their last FA Cup outing against Arsenal for tugging at the referee's shirt.

United would be more than willing to let Di Maria leave in case they are able to strike a good deal with PSG, something which would have been inconceivable at the start of the season. Cavani has scored 18 goals for PSG this season in all competitions and would be a reliable option for Van Gaal up front given his experience in the Champions League and in a fight for the title.

United are also likely to heavily invest in the squad in the summer given their deficiencies in defence and in midfield. Michael Carrick is entering his mid 30s and is unlikely to carry on for much longer while Ander Herrera has failed to establish himself as an integral part of the first team.

Meanwhile in defence, the likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans do not emanate the same confidence and responsibility as that by Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in their prime. They may also need to sign a goalkeeper should David de Gea refuse to extend his contract, which expires next summer.