Manchester United Transfer News: Anthony Martial Terms Agreed, Latest Rumours
Manchester United have reportedly agreed personal terms with Monaco striker Anthony Martial.
According to Le Parisien (h/t Get French Football News), United have had increasing bids for the youngster rejected, with the Ligue 1 outfit reportedly holding out for €60 million plus Marcos Rojo.
Get French Football News also report the striker has been granted leave from the France squad for the negotiations:
Football writer Liam Canning believes if Rojo were to move, it would only be on loan. He is nevertheless far from enthused by the prospect:
The Red Devils' need for more firepower was firmly on display on Sunday as they lost to Swansea City, with Wayne Rooney showing a complete lack of self-confidence as he twice found space in the box only to hesitate about pulling the trigger, allowing Ashley Williams to recover the ball.
However, United boss Louis van Gaal is insisting the club will not be panic-buying before the window closes on Tuesday.
Per BBC Sport, he said: "You can never speak as a club like Manchester United that you are satisfied. We shall not buy another player that we have not scouted before."
However, a huge-money deal for an unproven 19-year-old appears to be exactly that—a panic signing.
The youngster enjoyed a promising season last term, as he hit 12 goals and bagged five assists in all competitions, and has begun this campaign with a goal and two assists. Here are some of his highlights:
Martial certainly could be useful to United, but the reported fees involved are simply staggering.
A slightly cheaper alternative could be Southampton's Sadio Mane, albeit he is more of a wide forward than a central striker.
According to the Telegraph's Jason Burt, United "indicated they are willing to pay more than £20 million" for the 23-year-old.
Though Mane isn't a natural goalscorer, the Telegraph's Liam believes he would make a good signing for the Red Devils:
Mane has scored once and created a further four goals already this season, following up from his 13 strikes and nine assists last year.
However, Saints boss Ronald Koeman is adamant the Senegalese star is not for sale.
Per the Telegraph's Alex Crook, he said: "Nobody is going anywhere from Southampton. We have to deal with rumours and maybe [these have come from] somebody from Manchester. There has been no contact and no bid and we will not sell any more players. That is very clear in my opinion."
United's failure to get their business done earlier in the window has come back to haunt them as clubs are unwilling to part with key players they have no time to replace.
Mane's pace and dribbling ability would help the Red Devils in the final third, and as they're unlikely to land the kind of striker who can fire them to the title, he would be a decent acquisition.
However, they will seriously struggle to prise him away from St Mary's, so don't expect Mane to arrive in Manchester unless it's for a hugely inflated fee.
