Why Manchester United should keep hold of Anthony Martial amidst Interest
As per Calciomercato (h/t Manchester Evening News), Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is one of the top three transfer targets of Serie A side Inter Milan.
Martial, 24, came through the ranks of Lyon’s youth system and moved to Monaco in 2013. After 70 appearances for the French outfit, he was signed by Manchester United in September 2015 and scored on his debut in the Premier League against Liverpool.
Since then, the £250k-a-week Frenchman has gone on to make 203 appearances for the Red Devils, racking up 64 goals and 34 assists. Except for the Premier League title, he has won the other domestic titles once each in England. He has established himself as a key member under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
United have found their way to the top after an unconvincing start to the season. They are currently 5th in the league standings, just 3 points below fourth-place Chelsea as they are hoping to make it into the top four by the end of the campaign.
United boss Solskjaer has done a brilliant job in the latter part of the campaign, helping them to an 11-game unbeaten run. The forwards have been brilliant in recent times, scoring 29 goals during the unbeaten streak. Marcus Rashford’s injury put some doubts in their camp but it was Anthony Martial who led the line brilliantly in the Englishman’s absence.
Martial has been lively in the past few months and already has 16 goals in 34 games across all competitions this term. He has surpassed his own tally of 13 in the whole of last season and has been crucial in the Red Devils’ attacking unit. Therefore, United should not allow him to leave in the summer.
The 24-year-old is United’s second-highest goalscorer and played a crucial role in the team’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City earlier in the campaign. His three goals in the Europa League have also been crucial in United’s progress in the competition.
Going by his importance, he could be the star alongside Bruno Fernandes in the Red Devils’ possible Champions League qualification. He is capable of playing anywhere across the front line and his versatile nature of play could come in handy for the team in the future.
Daniel James, Jesse Lingard and Tahith Chong are the only available wingers at the manager’s disposal. And the Welshman is the only one who has been performing well from the wing. Therefore, keeping Martial would give Solskjaer various options to choose from according to the situation.
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Verdict
At the moment, United look to be going strong and Martial has played a crucial role in the absence of Rashford. He is just 24 and has a lot more to offer in the future and could possibly represent the Red Devils in the long run.
Therefore, they should avoid any temptation from Inter Milan and keep hold of the French international for as long as possible.
