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What’s the rumour?
As per reports from Independent, Juventus have joined the race to sign Manchester United attacker Anthony Martial. The 22-year-old is reportedly unhappy with the limited playing time at Old Trafford and has been linked to Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid as well.
In case you didn't know...
Martial shot into stardom in the 2014/15 season with Monaco when he scored 12 goals in 48 games for the French outfit. His exploits saw him attract interest from Manchester United, who signed the Frenchman for an initial fee of £36 million.
He became an instant fan-favourite at United when he scored against Liverpool on his debut. So far, he has played 131 games for United and has found the back of the net 36 times in all competitions.
His current contract runs out in 2019 and his current market value is approximately £58.5 million.
The heart of the matter
Considering their standards, Juventus have enjoyed a slight dip in form this season. Napoli are hot on their trail in the league and they have to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Real Madrid.
One probable factor for this is the fact that their forwards Gonzalo Higuain and Mario Mandzukic have only scored 19 goals combined in the league and the duo are also into their 30s.
Therefore they have turned their attention to Martial who has been struggling for regular playing time of late. Juventus want to take advantage of that situation.
The Frenchman has a remarkable 11 goals and 10 assists in 40 games this season but often has to be satisfied with appearances from the bench. There are rumours that Mourinho may sign an attacker this summer and that will lead to a further reduction in his playing time.
Rumour rating/probability - 6/10
Martial's situation has been a talking point for a good part of the season but there is no concrete evidence yet that suggests he will be sold this summer.
Video: The best of Martial this season
Author’s take
Martial is unquestionably one of the best young players in the world and if he feels that his career is being stagnated because of limited playing time, he has every right to seek a move away from the club this summer.
However, the player is highly valued by the United hierarchy and a move seems improbable unless Mourinho decides to sell him.
