Man Utd set to sign Monaco forward for £36m
Manchester United are set to complete the £36m signing of 19-year-old Monaco forward Anthony Martial.
‘Madchester!’ is the Mail’s headline, while The Sun opts for ‘Martial Flaw’.
The striker, who has been linked with Arsenal, was allowed to leave the France squad on Monday for a medical with Louis van Gaal’s side.
Should he sign, Martial, who scored eight goals in 31 Ligue 1 games last season. will become the costliest teenager in football history.
He will also become Manchester United’s third most expensive signing.
The Red Devils paid £59.7m to Real Madrid for Argentina winger Angel Di Maria and £37.1m to Chelsea for Spain midfielder Juan Mata.
United have until 18:00 BST on Tuesday, when the transfer window shuts for Premier League clubs, to complete the deal.
Who is Martial?
A France Under-21 international who has just been called up to the senior national team for the first time.
The teenager scored 32 goals in just 21 games at youth level for Lyon before breaking into the first team in the 2012-13 season.
He made just three appearances before joining Monaco in the summer of 2013 for a reported £3.5m.
Martial scored two goals in 15 appearances in his first season at Monaco and 11 in 42 last season.
With nine goals, he is the top scorer among the under-20 players in Europe’s top five leagues since last season.
How good is he?
He’s already caught the eye of France boss Didier Deschamps and clearly United think he’s worth the money, but it’s all about potential.
“He plays centrally, but often drifts into wide positions, more on the left than the right,” said Deschamps.
“He’s got a good combination of pace and power.
“He’s a young player obviously, but he’s got an interesting profile in an area where it’s not easy to find players with both strength and speed.
“He’s got good potential and I want to see how he does with the squad.”
Any comparisons?
He’s been likened to countryman Thierry Henry, the Arsenal legend and Barcelona star who helped France win the 1998 World Cup.
Like Henry, Martial can play as a striker but also on the wings.
“The one comparison made by everybody in France – and will probably be made by everybody in England over the next few days – is he reminds people of Thierry Henry,” said football journalist Philippe Auclair.
“He’s not as tall – he’s about two inches shorter – but he is lightning quick.
“He’s got good technique, good skills, he’s a good finisher, but he is still a raw product. We don’t know how far he can go.”
What’s the reaction to the deal?
In France, it’s fair to say people are a little gobsmacked.
“Is he worth that amount of money? If you ask the people back in France, they will say no he’s not,” said Auclair.
“This amount of money leaves people speechless in France.”
In Britain, the Daily Mail and The Sun have been left open-mouthed, too.
‘Madchester!’ is the Mail’s headline, while The Sun opts for ‘Martial Flaw’. BBC
