Juventus have reportedly set their sights on Anthony Martial, and are plotting a summer move for the Manchester United forward.
According to a report by Italian outlet Premium Sport HD, Anthony Martial is the subject of interest from Juventus. The Bianconeri have established contact with the Manchester United superstar’s agents, and are set to launch the offensive for him in the summer transfer window.
Martial arrived at Manchester United in the summer of 2015 with a burgeoning reputation of being one of the most exciting young prospects in Europe. Since then, the player’s club career has been a mixed bag, from being the Red Devils’ top scorer in his maiden campaign to becoming a peripheral figure in the season that followed.
It has been more of the same in 2017-18 as well, with Martial enjoying a strong first half of the season. But, since Manchester United signed Alexis Sanchez in January, the 22-year-old has lost his place as a regular, and has been rotated with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata.
Nevertheless, a return of 11 goals and 10 assists in 39 appearances is still fantastic for a player who is nearing his tally of direct contributions from the 2015-16 season. But, if regular starts continue to be hard to come by, Martial might just choose to move away from Manchester United, with Juventus interested.
Massimiliano Allegri currently has the likes of Douglas Costa, Paulo Dybala, Federico Bernardeschi, Juan Cuadrado and Mario Mandzukic as his options in attack, beyond striker Gonzalo Higuain. But, Cuadrado’s future at Juventus is uncertain, while Mandzukic is on the wrong side of 30.
In addition to the duo, Dybala is also being heavily linked with several top clubs across Europe, Manchester United being one of them. Martial is, thus, a viable target for Juventus, who could have a long-term solution in attack, with the player also capable of playing as the focal point of attack, making him a potential successor to Higuain.
Juventus have now taken steps to secure Martial’s services, with vice-president Pavel Nedved meeting Nelio Lucas of Doyen Sports – the agency that represents the Manchester United forward – when the club was in London to play Tottenham in the Champions League last week.
While Manchester United are reportedly set to initiate talks with Martial over a new contract, they might be willing to listen to offers over €65 million. The price tag, though, appears to be a stumbling block for Juventus, and it remains to be seen if they are able to make a headway if they begin negotiations with the Premier League heavyweights.
Martial’s willingness to stay or leave is also likely to play a major role in a possible deal taking place, and it will be interesting to see if he remains with Manchester United, or chooses to join Juventus, or some other club, instead.
