And with United’s own Argentine star, Carlos Tevez, being tipped to leave Old Trafford in the summer, Italian newspaper Tuttosport believe that, manager, Sir Alex Ferguson is weighing up a £30 million bid for the Serie A star.
However, the current English, European and World champions could face stiff competition for the 23-year-old’s signature from fellow European heavyweights Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea.
Speaking to FourFourTwo about the inevitable comparisons being drawn between himself and ‘El Diez’, who helped guide the Naples club to their only two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup in 1989, Lavezzi said:
“I’m honoured to be compared to my idol, Maradona, but the truth is he was a genius, while I’m just someone who runs behind a football.
“I don’t see myself as a striker. I love scoring, but it’s not the only thing I think of. Diego will always be the greatest. I know there’s no possible way I can do what he did for this city.
“There are young people of 25 and 30 years old who cry when they start speaking about Maradona. It’s something that makes you realise how much of a God he is here.
“Coming here was my best decision and I’ve settled very quickly thanks to the Argentinian and Uruguayan players that are part of the squad."
To read the full interview, catch the latest issue of FourFourTwo, out now.
It's a South America special and features the 10 best new wonderkids from that continent, including exclusive interviews with Manchester United’s twins Fabio and Rafael da Silva.
There are also interviews with Zico and Socrates; a look at the Boca Juniors academy responsible for Tevez, Burdisso, Gago, Banega et al; and the Lord of the Rings star so dedicated to Argentine outfit San Lorenzo that he bunked off a film set to see them play.
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