French legend Zinedine Zidane believes that Anthony Martial has the ability to prove his critics wrong as questions were asked regarding his big money move to Manchester United earlier this summer. The former Real Madrid midfielder claimed that similar questions were asked regarding Gianluigi Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo but that both the players eventually went on to silence their critics.
As reported by the Independent, Zidane said that big money transfer moves can be justified over the course of a few seasons. Manchester United reportedly signed Anthony Martial for A?58.1 million earlier this summer from Monaco.
Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo went on to justify their big money transfers
Citing Gianluigi Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo as examples, Zidane claimed that big players eventually justify their hefty price tags. The Frenchman believes that a big transfer fee could end up a looking like nothinga if the player lives up to his billing.
“With transfer fees, what looks big now can look like nothing a few years down the line.
“People went crazy when Juventus paid all that money (A?32.6m in 2001) for Gianluigi Buffon – how could a goalkeeper be worth that much? Who can now look and say Buffon was anything other than one of the best buys ever?
“It’s the same with Ronaldo (A?80m)- after all the goal, and all the trophies, who mentions the fee now?”
Wayne Rooney V Anthony Martial: Who is the better No 9?
Having recently joined Manchester United, Anthony Martial landed a dream debut as he scored a crucial goal for the club against arch rivals Liverpool. The Frenchman has been praised for his ability to take on defenders with critics believing that he should start ahead of Wayne Rooney at Manchester United.
Having scored more goals than Rooney in the Premier League this season, Martial boasts of a more successful take on percentage as his superior statistics inside the box establish him as a better option. In stark comparison to Martial, Rooney seems to be curiously out of ideas in a No 9 role and his lack of pace has further hampered his effectiveness inside the box. As of now, Anthony Martial seems likely to live up to his billing but his future will greatly depend on the manner in which he is treated by Louis van Gaal at Manchester United.
