Arsene Wenger Responds to Anthony Martial's Agent Over Failure to Sign Striker

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dismissed talk from Anthony Martial’s agent that he passed up on signing the Manchester United striker, insisting Monaco advised him the young Frenchman was not for sale.  

Philippe Lamboley, Martial’s representative, had claimed earlier this week that Wenger viewed the 19-year-old as a wide player, not a central striker, per Sky Sports, and therefore opted against bringing him in. But the Gunners boss explained his decision at his press conference on Friday, per Sky Sports:

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He was more a winger in his (early) career. And he played the final part of the season last year as striker.

But Monaco’s statement was always that the two players that would not move were Martial and (Layvin) Kurzawa, so I thought they would maintain that. But in the end both of them moved.

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Here’s a reminder of Lamboley’s quotes in full, per RMC (h/t Metro's George Bellshaw, via Bleacher Report UK):

Indeed, it took a whopping offer of £36 million from Manchester United to lure Martial away from Monaco, just the first part of a deal which could rise to £58 million. Despite eyebrows being raised about the transfer fee, the French international has settled in brilliantly at Old Trafford, notching four goals in as many appearances.

As noted here by Squawka Football, when you consider how more illustrious players have fared in Martial’s position, it makes the start made all the more impressive:

Arsenal could definitely do with a player who possesses Martial’s qualities at the point of the attack. The youngster is bullish on the ball, has searing speed and, when he does get into goalscoring positions, has a remarkable amount of composure.

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They’re attributes which are present in the Arsenal squad but not in the same player. So far this season, Wenger has alternated between the burly presence of Olivier Giroud up front and the raw pace of Theo Walcott, but neither has fully convinced in the early weeks of the campaign.

In front of goal, both players have spurned plenty of rudimentary opportunities, as we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com’s Ben McAleer:

The centre-forward position wasn’t the only facet Wenger failed to strengthen in the window, with no new outfield players coming through the Emirates Stadium door during the summer. As such, despite adding a top-quality goalkeeper in Petr Cech, the squad still looks a little short of the standard required to mount a title charge.

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But a young, brash centre-forward who plays the game with daring dynamism would have definitely given everyone a lift at the Emirates Stadium going into the campaign. Arsenal supporter and journalist Piers Morgan thinks the Gunners should have acted to get Martial on board, comparing him to another youngster who excelled in north London:

Sadly, signing Martial for so much money would have represented a big risk for the Gunners, and Wenger is a manager who is notoriously cautious when it comes to incoming players. The United man may burn out a little after such a fiery start, but it must be galling for Wenger for a young French player to have rocked up at Old Trafford and started so well.

It drills home how important it is to replenish a squad, too. Although there’s no denying Arsenal have an excess of quality in their ranks, things can quickly get stale if fresh personnel aren’t integrated into the group. A player with Martial’s youthful exuberance could have definitely staved off that worrying process.