We take a look at some of the popular news stories regarding Manchester United doing the rounds today.
El Clásico de Martial
After a stunning debut season which saw him score 17 goals in all competitions for Manchester United last season, following his £36 million move from Monaco, Martial has failed to break into Jose Mourinho’s starting XI this term. He has made 15 appearances so far and has managed only 4 goals and has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, with PSG reported to be extremely interested.
According to a report in The Sun, Anthony Martial is is subject to interest from La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. The report states that Barcelona were reportedly interested in the Frenchman prior to his Old Trafford move last season and they still are. Barcelona are short of quality attackers upfront and summer acquisition Paco Alcacer has yet to score a goal this season. Martial would be a viable long term option for the Blaugrana.
But Real Madrid will have an advantage over their fierce rivals, as they have James Rodriguez within their ranks, who has been known to be a target for Jose Mourinho. Rodriguez has been frustrated due to his lack of game time at the club. Real Madrid would reportedly prefer a swap deal with Manchester United for Martial, with the Colombian playmaker going the other way. Karim Benzema has cut a frustrated figure at the Bernabeu this season, scoring only 6 goals in 17 appearances. At 29 years of age, he isn’t getting any younger and Zidane may be looking for some fresh blood to liven up his strike force.
Martial Calls For Focus
The Red Devils travel to Ukraine next, to face Zorya Luhansk in their Europa League group stage tie on Thursday. This will be the first time Manchester United travel to Odessa, and they will have to deal with a four hour flight, near freezing conditions and a one-sided crowd. But Anthony Martial insists that the only thing that matters is how United play the game.
Speaking to MUTV, he said “It is very different – not just the supporters but the weather! Over there, it’s really cold at this time of the season. But it’s down to us to come to terms with that, adapt to the environment we find ourselves in and get the victory we need,” he said. “You prepare as well as you can and rest on the plane, but a lot of it can be in your head. It’s how you approach things mentally. It’s about what happens on the pitch; if you do your stuff out there, that’s what counts.”
Back in October, United welcomed the Ukrainian outfit to Old Trafford and managed to edge past them with a narrow 1-0 victory. However, things are going to be even more difficult on their turf and Martial was wary of the dangers. “We’re expecting a difficult encounter. Things went quite well for us in the home game but it’ll be different over there. They’ll be in front of their own supporters and will be determined to make life difficult for us to get a result, so we’ll be on our guard.”
Manchester United Set Sights On Carvalho
According to a report by SportWitness, Manchester United are reportedly interested in young Brazilian midfielder, Ramon Carvalho. A number of clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and PSG had sent their scouts to watch the Copa Ipiranga Sub-20 in Brazil and Manchester United were no different. The report goes on the state that the Red Devils’ scouts were left quite impressed after seeing 19-year-old Carvalho in action. Prior to arriving at Internacional, Carvalho has spent time at Palmeiras and Desportivo Brasil. He signed a one year deal with Internacional in March 2016, meaning that he could leave in 4 months time for free, should Manchester United or any other club that are interested in him come calling.
West Ham Considering Fellaini
It is safe to say that West Ham are in a very real danger of being relegated this season. The Hammers haven’t been able to recreate the form of last season despite having added so many new names over the summer transfer window. As fate would have it, they are ravaged by injuries and currently sit one point away from the relegation zone. They are in desperate need of quality reinforcements.
They are now considering making a January loan move for Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian had made a fairly decent start to the season for Jose Mourinho’s side but has never been able to recreate the same kind of form that convinced the Red Devils to part with nearly £30 million to lure him away from Goodison Park in September 2013.
It is reported by the Evening Standard that West Ham boss Slaven Bilic sees the 29-year-old Belgian international as a candidate to come and provide some much needed defensive solidity and and a physical presence in the Hammers’ midfield, whilst also helping going forward. Fellaini has irked the wrath of the United faithful on numerous occasions this season for his poor performances, most recently against Everton, where he conceded a late penalty after coming on as a substitute. With more than enough competition for places in Jose Mourinho’s midfield and new personnel almost sure to arrive in the upcoming transfer windows, a loan move to West Ham would be a wise choice for Fellaini to get regular game time and get his career back on track.
