5 Things you should know about Manchester United target Anthony Martial
Manchester United are on course to sign young French striker Anthony Martial from AS Monaco. The 19-year-old was given permission to leave the France national team squad and travel to England to complete a reported £36.6m move.
"Anthony Martial asked France coach Didier Deschamps for permission to travel to England to sign a contract with Manchester United," a statement from the French Football Federation confirmed.
"He'll return (on) Tuesday morning."
As he enjoys his view of the English Channel from his plane, we take a look at five things that United fans should know about their new signing.
5. Martial Scored Just 8 Times in Ligue-1 Last Season
The young French forward found the back of the net on just eight occasions in Ligue-1 last season, which equates to just one goal every four games. In total, Martial has scored just 13 goals at club level and if United’s reported figure is taken into account, it comes down to a figure just shy of £3m per goal; a staggering revelation which proves United are going for potential rather than a finished product.
Scoring eight goals in the league is a difficult job for any teenager, which precisely proves Martial’s raw potential after he became the top scorer among all the players under the age of twenty playing in Europe’s top five leagues last season.
4. He Has Just Signed A New Deal With Monaco
Manchester United’s exorbitant bid for the player can be attributed to the contract extension he signed only two months ago.
Martial penned a new deal with Monaco that tied him to the club until 2019. Err, that worked out well. But Monaco should not feel disheartened because they are getting compensation beyond their comprehension. The French club paid Olympique Lyonnais a measly sum of just £3.5m to prize Martial away back in 2013.
3. He Scored For Fun At Youth Level
Martial scored 32 goals in 21 games for Lyon’s U-17 side which persuaded Monaco to make a move for this goal scoring prodigy.
He carried his club form to France’s U-17 squad by scoring 9 goals in just 13 appearances. The 19-year-old then went on to score three goals in four games for the U-18 side before representing France at U-21 level where he has four goals to his name so far.
The forward, who can also play wide on both wings, has recently been called up to France’s senior squad for the first time in his career.