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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.
2. Martial Will Become The World’s Most Expensive Teenager
Manchester United’s predilection for investing massive sums on young players is right on the money, yet again, as Martial is set to replace last summer signing Luke Shaw as the most expensive teenager in football.
Shaw himself replaced his club and country captain Wayne Rooney in this competition after his £31.5m move from Southampton last year.
Shaw is enjoying his finest run of games since arriving at Old Trafford and Rooney has established himself as one of United’s all-time greatest players. Martial could prove to be a bargain if he achieves even half of what his new captain has.
1.Martial Draws Comparisons With France Legend Thierry Henry
Martial draws quite many parallels with his idol and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. And not just because he is a right-footed 19-year-old winger playing wide on the left for AS Monaco. And definitely not because they played for the same Parisian youth club CO Les Ulis. Okay, they are totally identical.
Like Henry, Martial is blessed with blistering pace and impeccable dribbling skills. His acceleration the ability to shoot from distance is reminiscent of a young Thierry Henry.
Time will tell his worth, but United’s potential new signing is brimming with talent.
