Opinion: Edinson Cavani is one of the great strikers of his generation

When discussion turns to the greatest attacking players of this generation there are a number of names that spring immediately to mind. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the obvious ones. Not only the greatest players of their generation but arguably of all time.

Then you have players like Zlatan Ibrahimović and Luis Suárez who have scored hundreds of goals at club and international level. Recently, Antoine Griezmann had been brilliant for Atlético Madrid and was a pivotal part of France's World Cup winning side in 2018.

One man who rarely gets mentioned is Edinson Cavani and it's difficult to comprehend why he doesn't get more recognition for what has been an extraordinary career in the game.

Cavani, who was heavily linked with a transfer in the January window, made headlines this week after becoming the first player to score 200 goals for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He has reached that landmark at a rapid rate, doing so in just 297 games. He has been an essential part in the success story of the French giant, winning 18 trophies since signing in 2013.

It is possible that people consider his achievements to come with an asterisk due to the sheer dominance of the team he plays for with PSG having completely dominated the French football world for the last decade. However that would be to ignore his outstanding record in Italy and at international level.

Before moving to Paris, Cavani had built his reputation as a world-class goalscorer playing first for Palermo where he would score 34 goals in 109 appearances and then for Napoli where he scored 78 goals in just 104 games, winning a Coppa Italia along the way.

At international level his record for Uruguay is also outstanding. A key part of the side that won the Cops America in 2011, Cavani has scored 50 goals in 116 games and is his country's second highest scorer behind only Luis Suárez.

Cavani has had an outstanding career and while rumours persist that his time in Paris may be coming to an end, there would undoubtedly be a queue of clubs hoping to sign one of the greatest goalscorers of the modern game.

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