Barely 24 hours left in the summer transfer window, an astronomical fee, a relative unknown on English shores – small wonder Manchester United’s proposed signing of Anthony Martial has raised more than a few eyebrows.
Yes
the fee is reported to be around the €50m mark – at least. Yes the
Parisian forward has played fewer than 50 top-flight matches in France
and has only 10 senior league goals to his credit.
But Martial,
at 19 years of age, is considered France’s next great superstar.
United’s handling of the deal might be described as desperate, late,
even clumsy, but they are buying themselves a player of outstanding
potential.
Such is his quality, Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim
reportedly threatened to resign if the forward, who signed a contract
running until 2019 in June to ward off Tottenham’s interest, is sold.
It is not without good reason that he is considered the next Thierry Henry.
Like
many of France’s brightest young stars, he is a graduate of the Lyon
youth academy, where he signed up as a 14-year-old. Yet for once his
talent was squandered by the Stade Gerland outfit, who sold him to
Monaco for €5 million plus bonuses little over a year ago amid
competition from Juventus.
Since arriving in the principality,
his talents – recognised in the national set-up since playing at
Under-16 level – have become increasing obvious to a wider audience.
Dimitar Berbatov was the first victim of the quick attacker, who
established himself as a regular starter a week before his 19th birthday
at the expense of the former United man.
Athletic, strong and
technically gifted, Martial quickly won the backing of head coach
Jardim, whose rather pragmatic style suited the young Frenchman over the
languid Bulgarian.
And it proved a shrewd move, as the youngster finished the campaign with eight goals in his final 12 appearances.
Having replaced Berbatov at Stade Louis II, he now hopes to fare rather better than his former team-mate at Old Trafford.
Big
things will be expected of a youngster signed for such a big fee, but
while he is capable of making an instant impression in United’s
offensive corps, his addition is really for the long-term benefit of the
squad. It has confirmed the expectation that he is a world star in the
marking.
Comparisons with Henry, another forward to have his
roots in Guadeloupe, are entirely just. He moves in the same graceful
manner, is building a technical base of skills to rival France’s record
scorer and thrives on playing down the channels. Only Martial will be
wearing the red of Manchester United and not that of Arsenal.
Indeed,
such are the comparisons, one is forced to wonder why Arsenal boss
Arsene Wenger did not make a move. The exorbitant transfer fee,
presumably.
Twenty
years apart, the two players both started out with the same CO Ulis
side. Indeed, it was on a pitch funded by the Gunners legend that
Martial made his first serious strides in the game before being swept
south to join Lyon, where Sonny Anderson was his inspiration.
Since
then, the upward trajectory of the attacker has been formidable, though
especially marked in the last 12 months. He has revealed that a visit
from France boss Didier Deschamps came as something of an epiphany for
him.
“I realised that talent is not enough and that I had to
work more,” Martial said in January. “This clicked when Deschamps came
here. He explained to me that I had talent but needed to work. My record
is insufficient. I create chances but I need to score more. The coach
has told me to keep the momentum going.”
The
reward has been great: Martial has been called to the France squad to
face Portugal and Serbia, and it would be a shock if he were not to
debut.
By the end of last season, praise was being drawn from all quarters.
“The
Anthony Martial I knew last year, even late in the season, and this one
aren’t the same,” France Under-21 boss Pierre Mankowski explained in
April.
“Firstly, when he has the ball at his feet, he makes
something happen or he is fouled. Secondly, he is more concerned with
defensive work. When he’s like this, he’s a very, very great player.”
A
quiet figure off the field, he is a self-confessed “homebody”, for whom
watching Homeland is one of his favourite pastimes. He is also a
religious person and prays before every match, after listening to music –
French and US rap, and zouk. After games, his first text message is
reserved for his girlfriend.
A grounded character, he has matured
on the field greatly in a short space of time, and appears ready to
make such a giant step in his career. It would surprise no-one if he
muscled his way into the France squad for Euro 2016, but equally he must
be given time to settle after such an enormous move.
United have
on their hands a weapon, once fully firing, capable of developing into a
world-class figure for years to come. His fee may look large now, but
unlike Radamel Falcao, who made the jump from Monaco to Old Trafford
exactly a year ago, Martial will be no flop.
Culled from Goal.com
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