Why Manchester United must avoid swapping Martial with Perisic
On 12th September 2015, Manchester United had their two-goal lead halved by a spectacular Christian Benteke goal. But United’s goal of the season was yet to come. A relatively unknown young player had arrived on English shores and was sent on an as a late substitute for the match. He scored a breathtaking goal on his debut at Stretford End against Liverpool – stuff that dreams are made of. Anthony Martial, in an instant, became a United hero.
But a lot has happened since then. During that disappointing season under Louis van Gaal, Martial scored 17 goals across all competition. But then Jose Mourinho arrived and the Frenchman had to share minutes with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
In the 2016/17 season, Martial hit his second season syndrome. He only started 18 league games that year and could muster up only four goals. The second season under the Portuguese manager, however, started in a better way.
Martial, who currently earns £65,000-a-week, and Rashford had to fight for the left-wing and both of them gave their manager a good headache by constantly scoring goals. But the arrival of Alexis Sanchez in January made things tough.
Last season, Martial started 23 games and scored 10 goals in all competitions. A recent report from Daily Express has claimed that United were interested in a swap deal that would see Perisic arriving at Old Trafford and Martial moving to Inter Milan. But considering the situation, this could be disastrous for United in the long term.
Ivan Perisic is a world-class winger. In fact, The Telegraph reported that he was on Mourinho’s short list last summer as well but the club failed to agree on a fee with Inter. The report further states that United were willing to pay £44million but the deal did not materialize.
The Croatian scored 11 goals and assisted 8 more during the 2016/17 season. It was his ability to shoot and cross with either foot that made him such a lethal weapon. The recently concluded World Cup in Russia provided the perfect stage for him as he was at the peak of his powers in the tournament and helped his country reach its first-ever final.
But the only problem with Perisic is his age. He is already 29 and since he is a winger, he might provide a couple more years of quality service for his club. On the other hand, Martial is just 22 and has a great future ahead of him.
The Frenchman has already been playing in England for three years now and has adapted to the Premier League. He might not be firing every week right now but the club and the manager must remain patient with him. Even Martial must change his attitude and work hard for the team. But regardless, United must stay away from a swap deal.
