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Edinson Cavani wants PSG exit but Atletico Madrid bid turned down - Leonardo

Edinson Cavani wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window but an offer from Atletico Madrid has been turned down, sporting director Leonardo has said.

The Uruguay international missed the 1-0 Coupe de France round of 32 win away at Lorient on Sunday, and the 4-1 rearranged Ligue 1 victory away at Monaco last Wednesday, with the official line from PSG being that he is injured.

However, speaking after the win over Lorient, Leonardo confirmed Cavani has asked to leave and indicated that Les Parisiens are now waiting for an acceptable offer from Atleti.

"We have always said the same thing about Edinson -- we hope he will stay," said the Brazilian of PSG's all-time top scorer. "The reality is that he has asked to leave.

"We are studying the situation. We have received an offer from Atletico Madrid, it was not accepted -- it did not match the player's value.

"The most important thing is everyone's desire. We must be clear -- the player wants to go."

Leonardo cited the Ligue 1 giants' respect for Cavani as the main reason behind them reluctantly fielding interest and refuted the idea that PSG have an amount in mind that would be acceptable for Cavani.

"We must think clearly," he said. "We never asked for a specific sum. Everyone is talking about it, but we never established a value as the most important thing is everybody's desire. We must be clear -- Edinson wants to leave," he said.

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Speaking at the postmatch press conference in Lorient, PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said he was uncertain that Cavani will remain a member of his squad past the end of the month.

"I do not know if Edinson will be here in February," he said. "We do not know what will happen tomorrow -- anything can happen.

"You want to discuss it, but I do not. You can speak about it with Leonardo -- these are not questions for me. I can tell you about the next match, or training."

Chelsea could be a potential destination for Cavani after Frank Lampard refused to rule out a move when asked about whether the club would look at the Uruguayan as a target.

Lampard has made no secret of his desire to strengthen Chelsea's frontline this month, particularly with Olivier Giroud closing in on a move to Inter Milan.

"He's a great player," Lampard told a news conference. "I played against him and I always loved his mentality and his attitude. His goal-scoring record speaks for itself.

"I'm not absolutely aware of what the situation is, so we'll see.

"He's an experienced player but so are many other players out there. We are young as a squad so the idea of bringing in experience is not something I'm looking away from. Sometimes the younger players need a bit of help."