With Zlatan Ibrahimovic set to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, reports in France suggest that the Ligue 1 champions could target Manchester United striker Anthony Martial as a replacement for the Swede.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is experiencing his finest season yet in Paris, scoring 31 goals in 33 games with two months still to go till the end of the season. However, contract negotiations between the former Barcelona striker and PSG have reached a dead end. The Swede recently declared his intention to leave France at the end of the summer, with Manchester United touted as a possible destination.
The cost of bringing Ibrahimovic to Old Trafford, however, could be bigger than what the Red Devils are willing to pay. PSG on the other hand, are keen on bringing Anthony Martial to the club as a long term replacement for Zlatan, according to Le’10 sport.
The report goes on to say that even though PSG will lose Ibrahimovic, the club is also planning to sell Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani to generate funds for a new star forward. PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi is understood to be a fan of Martial, who has emerged as the French giants’ top target for the summer.
Manchester United unlikely to part ways with Martial
The French teenager was a surprise signing for the Red Devils at the start of the season. While United were being linked with names like Cavani, Thomas Muller and Neymar, the English giants ended up spending 36 million pounds on the relatively unknown Martial.
The 36 million figure excludes additional clauses that could take the total transfer fee to 58 million pounds; one such clause will reportedly be triggered if Martial wins the Ballon d’Or before 2019, in which case Manchester United will not regret paying the additional money.
The French international has shown glimpses of his mercurial ability throughout this season and has been among the club’s top performers. His seven-goal tally may not be too impressive, but he has often been the most potent attacking threat for United under Louis van Gaal. At the age of 20, Martial also has plenty of room for improvement and the talent to be the player that Manchester United build their next team around.
