Premier League giants Manchester United signed French forward Anthony Martial from Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco on transfer deadline day for £36m, which surprised quite a few people. The Red Devils’ decision to sign a relatively young unproven forward for such a high fee which could rise to £56.7m has clearly showcased how desperate they were to strengthen their squad.
Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev added that Louis van Gaal’s side were desperate to complete a deal for their target that they almost trebled their bid within a week’s time.
Vasilyev spoke to the Sun recently and stated that the club had no intention to sell him, yet Ed Woodward would not take no for an answer. He said, “It’s true that the price for Martial is £57.6m but take into account this sum includes bonuses which are very realistic. I couldn’t disclose the fixed sum. Initially Martial was not for sale, it was absolutely not planned. Since last week United started to make offers which we declined several times — £21.6m, £28.8m, £36m, even £50.4m with bonuses. On Sunday the player got such an offer that he couldn’t have declined. He asked us to find a solution and on Monday morning Manchester United made an offer to Monaco which the club couldn’t refuse. It’s absolutely unique. It’s the price of Luis Suarez or Neymar — the best players in the world.“