?Anthony Martial could be at the centre of a three-way transfer tussle this summer after Barcelona reportedly entered the race to sign him.
Italian news outlet ?Tuttosport has alleged that La Liga’s current leaders have joined the race alongside ?Juventus and ?Bayern Munich in an effort to try and lure the frustrated forward away from ?Manchester United.
Martial is believed to be considering his future at Old Trafford after falling down the pecking order under manager Jose Mourinho, and is thought to have spurned the chance to pen a new lucrative five-year deal to extend his stay in the Premier League.
That has given Europe’s other giants renewed hope that he can be convinced to end his stay in the north west of England, and Barca will look to try and sneak under Juve’s and Bayern’s noses to snap up the France international.
Martial lost his place in the starting lineup under Mourinho after Alexis Sanchez was signed in a swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the January transfer window, and has seen further potential game time reduced as the weeks have gone on since.
The 22-year-old, signed from Monaco for around £58m almost three summers ago, has now grown tired of waiting for the chance to prove himself, having bagged 11 goals and ten assists in 41 appearances for the Red Devils this term.
I can’t deal with the thought of us selling Anthony Martial. I really can’t. It’s heartbreaking.
— Jordan Clarke (@FourFourJordan) 22 April 2018
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Mourinho is said to have told Martial’s representatives in confidence that the winger is free to leave if a suitable offer is made for him, but whether United can recoup all of the money they forked out for him remains to be seen.
United want to bolster their centre midfield options in the close season due to the likely departure of Marouane Fellaini and the retiring Michael Carrick, and selling Martial would free up funds for Mourinho to chase his own transfer targets.
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It seems crazy that United would sanction the sale of someone who is coveted by three fellow heavyweights in Europe, but if Martial wants to leave then there’s little United can do about it.
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