Jose Mourinho is likely to sell Anthony Martial this summer in order to help fund transfers of players like Griezmann and Perisic.
According to a report by The Sun, Jose Mourinho is likely to show the exit door to Anthony Martial as the Portuguese manager tries to gather funds for the high-profile signing of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid and Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan.
Earlier today, it was reported that Inter Milan have rejected an initial bid from Manchester United for the Croatian winger, and it seems like the club is expecting a higher amount.
Signing both Perisic and Griezmann is sure to drain United’s finances and Mourinho is trying to source some extra cash as he tries to get a good deal for Martial.
Martial was part of the squad Jose Mourinho inherited from Louis van Gaal when he took over last season. While the striker cost the club in excess of £40 million, he has been a disappointment of sorts after managing to score only 25 goals in 91 appearances in the last two years.
Arguably, Martial did play out wide more often than not but then he also made his name while playing in the exact same position for Monaco. At United, however, he has not been able to perform his best and that was even more evident this season.
As bigger stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined the squad, Martial was pushed further below the pecking order. The rise of the young Marcus Rashford also ensured that Martial had to force himself to occupy the back seat. And even when he did play, he failed to perform.
He has also struggled when United played in outside the Premier League as he only managed one goal in 10 Europa League appearances for the club. The Red Devils will undergo a major squad overhaul, and it seems like Martial does not fit the picture anymore.
The sale of Martial will definitely bring in more funds for Mourinho to splurge. Antoine Griezmann will cost a lot and Inter Milan are expecting a higher fee for the services of Ivan Perisic so now it remains to be seen how Mourinho handles the situation.
Even if Martial remains at United, next season will prove to be a bigger hurdle for him if either Perisic or Griezmann join the squad.
Spanish outfit Sevilla came in with a loan offer for Martial during the January transfer window, and they also intended to make the move permanent if Martial was a success in the La Liga. However, it was Jose Mourinho who refused the offer and wanted to give him another six months to prove his quality.
Its been six months and there hasn’t been any improvement as far as Martial’s form is concerned, and it looks like his journey with Manchester United will end this summer.
