PUEBLA - The Canadian Lucas Cavallini, forward for the Puebla Mexican soccer team, stated that he intends to leave his team at the end of the Apertura tournament and would like to go to another team with higher expectations.
"I would love to play for America, if I can't, for another big team in Mexico like Tigres or Monterrey, I also have options abroad. I don't think there will be an approach with Cruz Azul," he told EFE.
Cavallini, member of the Canadian national team, has become a figure for Puebla, a modest club in central Mexico. He joined the team in 2017 and has scored 29 goals in 76 matches.
He assured that he has been honest with the club's management and is not afraid to publicly state that he wants to leave.
"I adapted to Puebla and showed my willingness to play; the fans love me and will respect my decision to leave; I want to finish this championship with effort and dedication," he added.
About his motivations to join America, the forward acknowledged that it could be a stepping stone to then move to a more competitive league.
"It is easier to move to European football from a big, media-rich, and attractive team than from a small one. Two players, Agustín Marchesín and the Colombian Matheus Uribe, just left America for Porto; I like America because it is a winning team and has a more stable project than Cruz Azul, for example," he added.
Cavallini was emotionally hurt in June after Cruz Azul started talks with Puebla's management to sign him, but there was no final communication.
"Cruz Azul approached me, it wasn't a team that excited me because they haven't won a championship in many years, which means the pressure doesn't keep them stable, but it was a good opportunity and I was willing to go. Then the sports president had a conflict with the management; that could have affected my transfer," he pointed out.
Despite being born in Toronto, Cavallini is not motivated to play for the team from that city, which advanced to the Eastern Conference final of the MLS this week.
"I'm glad that Toronto is doing well, but the MLS is not a league that fascinates me, I prefer larger leagues like the one in Spain. If I end up playing for Toronto, it will be towards the end of my career; right now, I want to take advantage of my level to compete in demanding leagues," he concluded.