Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Anthony Martial, Victor Valdes Rumours

Manchester United have reportedly turned to AS Monaco striker Anthony Martial in their search for attacking reinforcements, with rumours of a €50 million transfer bid emerging in France.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Johnson shared two reports from RMC Sport, one from Mohamed Bouhafsi and one from Yann Pecheral, and he remains sceptical:

However, Simon Jones of the Daily Mail reports the offer is at £36 million.

The 19-year-old is seen as one of France's top attacking talents and made a strong impression with Monaco last season. Fans may remember the strong shift he put in during the UEFA Champions League tie with Arsenal, and in 19 Ligue 1 starts, he managed to score nine goals, per WhoScored.com.

Martial moved from Lyon to Monaco in 2013, as his path to the starting XI was blocked by the equally talented Alexandre Lacazette and Nabil Fekir. As the youngest of the three, he was least likely to make an immediate impact, although Lyon are undoubtedly regretting the decision to sell after he broke out in a big way with Monaco.

French football writer Francois Piraux is a big fan of the teenager:

The forward can play both as a wide man or as a striker, although he seems more suited to be the latter, and has the potential to be the next great French attacker. He has all of the physical tools combined with excellent vision and lethal finishing ability. Even at the young age of 19, he already has plenty of Ligue 1 experience.

He's yet to play a single second for the French senior national team, however, and is relatively untested on the highest level. The rumoured fee of €50 million seems almost comically high for a prospect who may not be ready to contribute on a Premier League level in two years. La Liga blogger Rafael Hernandez agrees:

Martial is an excellent prospect, but right now, he's a flawed player who won't be solving United's scoring woes anytime soon. His touch tends to let him down at the worst times, and he's not a willing defender―these are issues he has to work on before he'll be able to start for a club like United.

That doesn't mean the Red Devils shouldn't be interested in his services―they absolutely should, and there's a good chance he'll develop into the world-class forward the squad so desperately needs right now.

But €50 million normally buys you an impact starter, not a 19-year-old who is yet to break into the national squad. Monaco won't be selling cheaply and have little time to find a replacement―the French transfer window closes Monday―so their asking price will be inflated, but not to this level.

A fee closer to half of that seems like fair value for a young, up-and-coming striker with bags of potential. No matter how desperate the Red Devils may be for goals, it's hard to see them paying top dollar for anyone but a proven scorer on the highest level.

Victor Valdes to Stay?

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According to BBC Sport, the deal that was supposed to send veteran goalkeeper Victor Valdes to Besiktas has collapsed due to the Turkish club's tinkering with the agreed terms. This close to the end of the transfer window, it's unlikely the Red Devils will find another suitor:

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A source close to Valdes said Besiktas attempted to change the terms of an agreed deal and the 33-year-old has now backed out of the move.

The Spain international has no future at Old Trafford after falling out with manager Louis van Gaal.

The transfer window in England and Scotland closes on Tuesday, but it is Monday in most European countries.

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According to reporter Sid Lowe, Valdes' decision not to go through with the move truly came at the last second:

Valdes signed a contract with United last season after rehabbing his knee at the club, and he even appeared in several matches. He was seen as the primary backup to David De Gea until he fell out with manager Louis van Gaal, as mentioned by BBC Sport, and hasn't been involved in the Dutchman's plans since.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst, United are doing everything possible to show the Spaniard he's not wanted:

The 33-year-old former Barcelona star is an excellent stopper, and under normal circumstances, it shouldn't have to be difficult to find Valdes a new home. But for the bulk of leagues around Europe, the transfer window closes tomorrow, leaving all interested parties little time to work with.

Perhaps an interested club can make a late push and land a proven, veteran goalkeeper for pennies on the dollar, which would be one of the steals of the window. But if a deal doesn't materialise soon, Valdes and United could be stuck with each other much longer than they want.

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