Suarez or Cavani? Who should Real Madrid choose to sign?

Edinson Cavani is a very different player to Suarez. Cavani is an all-round striker who excels as a focal point and as a finisher. He is fearless in front of goal and has an amazing conversion rate on chances. Where Suarez can be very wasteful – no Premier League player had more shots last season – Cavani is ruthless. He played in a Napoli side that created him far less chances than the litany of creatives at Real would make for him and still managed 29 goals in the usually defensive-minded Serie A. He will put away the chances Real make for him.

Cavani is at his best in the penalty box and Real need someone who can dominate in there. For all their quality, neither Benzema or Higuain really impose themselves on defences in quite the way that Cavani does. He is a big man, strong and quick, but also very technical. As part of a counter attacking team, he could be exceptional. It would give Real the opportunity to find him early and he could hold the ball up for the quick arriving support players before getting in to the box to finish chances off himself.

Probable new manager Carlo Ancelotti has experience using both types of players. At PSG and Chelsea, he had success with Ibrahimovic and Drogba, more like a Cavani, but at AC Milan he had great success with Shevchenko, more like Suarez. As such, he could adapt a system and style of play that maximizes the talent of either player.

Overall though, Luis Suarez is a slightly better fit. At Liverpool, he was used to having to do everything himself which possibly explains his occasionally poor decision making. It’s one thing turning down a pass to Stewart Downing or Fabio Borini, quite another to ignore Ronaldo or Angel Di Maria. He has the footballing intelligence to improve upon this and learn to use his quality team mates better. He’s shown he can do it for Uruguay. He’d be a good tactical fit and could help get the best out of the rest of the attack and give them a different point of attack away from home.