Why Manchester United should keep hold of Anthony Martial
As per Gazzetta Dello Sport (h/t Evening Standard), Inter Milan are keen on signing Manchester United star Anthony Martial in the summer if the Serie A side lose Lautaro Martinez.
Martial, 24, joined Manchester United in the summer of 2015 after two good seasons with French outfit AS Monaco. Since his arrival, he has been a regular member of the squad and has already made over 200 appearances for the Red Devils, making him one of the most experienced campaigners in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils have enjoyed a superb second half of the season since they signed the Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes. Solskjaer’s men haven’t lost any of their last 11 games across all competitions, scoring 29 goals and conceding only twice in the process.
The attacking unit has come to life in recent weeks and Martial has taken the lead role in the absence of Marcus Rashford. In the first half of the season, the Frenchman scored just 4 goals from 12 games and the poor run also coincided with a hamstring injury to him. But he has come lively in the latter stages, scoring 7 goals in 11 games with some crucial goals against Manchester City twice and Chelsea.
United have four centre-forwards in Martial, Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Odion Ighalo in their ranks. While Rashford and Martial have established themselves under the Norwegian tactician, Greenwood is still in his learning curve and Ighalo is on loan from Shenhua Shanghai. The Nigerian could be on his way back to China once his loan spell ends in the summer.
Thus, United need to keep hold of Martial, who is capable of doing well with further experience. He can be crucial alongside his English partner.
The former Monaco man has done better in terms of scoring each year. He finished the 2017/18 season with just 9 goals and made it 10 last season. But this term, he has already racked up 11 goals and 3 assists, with more games yet to be played this season.
He could be a valuable asset to the squad if he keeps striking at a decent rate, and keeping Martial in the squad would help the team immensely as he is in his fifth season at Old Trafford. Given his abilities, he could become a player for United in the long run.
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Verdict
The £250k-a-week French international is an important player in the squad and he was at his best in the absence of Rashford. Therefore, the Red Devils must avoid any temptation from Inter Milan in the summer and keep Martial at Old Trafford for as many years as possible.
