Barcelona could reportedly explore the option of signing Manchester United outcast Anthony Martial in a part-exchange deal in January.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona might not be able to afford to sign Anthony Martial on a cash deal in the January transfer window. As a result, the Blaugrana could propose a part-exchange transfer to Manchester United, with one of Ousmane Dembele, Clement Lenglet, Philippe Coutinho, and Frenkie de Jong on offer.
Anthony Martial’s Manchester United stint has resembled a roller-coaster ride, having finished two seasons as the club’s top scorer while also enduring campaigns wherein he has hardly carried any influence. The latter has been the case for the last 18 months, with Martial’s impact on the wane, and increasingly so.
The ongoing season has been one to forget for Martial, who raked in just 359 minutes of game-time across ten outings, scoring one goal in the process. However, the Frenchman’s frustrations have boiled over at Old Trafford, and he is ready to leave Manchester United in the January transfer window. Such a situation has captured the attention of Barcelona.
The interest from Barcelona makes sense, considering Sergio Aguero’s forced decision to retire has left Xavi Hernandez short of quality options to lead the line. The Barcelona manager has Martin Braithwaite and Luuk de Jong as the only natural strikers left at his disposal. However, neither player is convincing enough to operate at the tip of the attacking unit regularly.
As a result, the Catalan giants need to dip their toes in the transfer market for a striker in the January transfer window, which is why they have set their sights on Martial. However, Barcelona cannot afford to sign the Manchester United outcast on a cash deal and could offer a part-exchange transfer to the Red Devils instead.
Such a proposal could see Barcelona offering one of Ousmane Dembele, Clement Lenglet, Philippe Coutinho and Frenkie de Jong. Interestingly, Coutinho has recently been offered to Manchester United, with the Premier League heavyweights interested in signing de Jong.
However, the report does not mention whether Manchester United will accept a part-exchange deal for Martial. Getting de Jong as part of the transfer should ideally be an attractive prospect for Manchester United, as the Barcelona midfielder could be a long-term replacement for Paul Pogba. It remains to be seen if Barcelona’s supposed proposal goes ahead in January.
