Realistic Expectations for Anthony Martial at Manchester United in 2015/16

Anthony Martial was not the big-name signing many Manchester United fans craved at the end of the transfer window. But now he has arrived, what can realistically be expected of him?

He will face the burden of a hefty transfer fee. Indeed, the CIES Football Observatory cited him as the player most overvalued in the summer window (h/t ESPN FC).

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Of course, he did not ask to be subject to such a bid. And according to Duncan Castles in the Sunday Times, United faced opposition from Chelsea in pursuit of his signature. That tells a story in itself—United were clearly not the only side prepared to invest heavily in the youngster.

Given his history, though, it seems likely this is an investment in potential future ability rather than the kind of proven quality that will make an immediate impact.

Martial has done well for Monaco considering his age.

He was the youngest player since Thierry Henry to score 10 Ligue 1 goals, per OptaJoe. That is an impressive achievement. However, it is impressive because of his age, not in spite of it. 

Martial scored just nine league goals last season. To expect him to improve on that in spite of the upheaval that comes with a move to United and the Premier League seems unreasonable.

There is also a question as to how much he will play this season. Presumably, he will not displace Wayne Rooney as United's first-choice centre-forward, at least not straight away.

This was something Bleacher Report lead tactics writer Sam Tighe addressed when speaking to Ryan Bailey about Martial. Tighe said, "I don't think Martial is going to break the 10-goal barrier just because I don't think he's going to play that much football in the first season."

It is not only how much, or little, he plays but also where he plays that will factor into his immediate impact. He has been a centre-forward for most of his career, but Louis van Gaal said of him, per the club's website, "Anthony is a naturally talented, young, multifunctional forward with great potential."

When Van Gaal describes a player as "multifunctional," it is easy to assume he does not plan on deploying him just as a centre-forward.

Looking at United's front four against Swansea City—Rooney at No. 9, Ander Herrera at No. 10 and Memphis Depay and Juan Mata on the wings—it is not easy to see whom Martial will displace.

Perhaps the most likely option would be one of Herrera or Mata, with Mata moving inside to replace Herrera and Martial taking up a space on the right-hand side or Mata dropping to the bench. That would certainly add pace to United's attack, though it would come at the cost of some guile.

Another issue with that approach would be that Mata, perhaps surprisingly, has been doing a lot of defensive work on the right flank so far this season. He is averaging two tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game, and he and Matteo Darmian have covered for each other well.

Martial has never had those kind of defensive responsibilities for Monaco. Last season, he averaged 0.5 tackles and 0.1 interceptions per game.

For now, it looks as though Martial's opportunities to make an immediate impact could be limited.

That then raises the question of his potential, which will ultimately make or break this transfer in a much more significant way than how he performs this season. His peers and respected figures in the game speak very highly of him. All the following quotes come from a collection brought together by United's website.

Didier Deschamps, France head coach, described him as a "a player with a huge potential." French journalist Julian Laurens wrote:

"

He’s a very exciting young player; he’s been built up as the next big thing in French football for years now because he’s always been so good. In whatever age group he’s been in, he’s always been so much better than everyone else.

We’ve always had high hopes for him, so it will be exciting to see what he can do at one of the world’s biggest clubs. He can play on the left, the right or the middle because he has so much pace and his movement is great on and off the ball. He's compared to Thierry Henry a lot because of the quality they both have.

"

Thierry Henry himself sounded a note of caution, saying:

"

He has pace, but can he score a lot of goals? We saw him at the Emirates last season causing trouble for Arsenal and he has a bright future. I saw him play at the weekend against Paris Saint-Germain and he can play in the middle, it is going to take him a bit of time to adjust.

"

Having realistic expectations about a player who cost so much is a big ask. It seems almost guaranteed that coverage of Martial's season will focus on that fee. However, that should be moved to the back burner for now, since its value will not be known in the 2015/16 season.

Luke Shaw was bought at huge expense during last summer's transfer window. He endured a difficult, injury-hit first season. Now, though, he is showing why such a hefty amount was invested in him. It is too soon to say he has justified the price, but he is on the right track.

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Shaw's PR benefited somewhat from arriving in the same summer as more high-profile, more expensive signings who also struggled. Martial will have no such cushion. The rest of United's key business was long done by the time he was signed, and only Memphis represents a similar gamble.

Indeed, Memphis too will need to be given time to adapt—as has been evident already this season, the Premier League is a step up from the Eredivisie. That patience will likely be even more needed with Martial.

He is younger than Memphis and has nowhere near the kind of scoring record of the young Dutchman. Memphis was his league's top scorer last season. Martial has not yet hit double figures.

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In 2015/16, United fans should hope to see Martial bed into the club and the Premier League. They should hope he adapts to the spotlight and gets enough game time to grow as a player.

On top of that, they can hope for a glimpse of his potential. When Cristiano Ronaldo—the unfortunate benchmark against whom all young attackers at United are measured—arrived at the club, he lit the place up on his debut.

It was a cameo talked about to this day. He came on as a substitute against Bolton Wanderers and looked the best player on the pitch. The memory of that game, though, and the knowledge of the player he grew to become, clouds the fact he had plenty of pretty average games during his first couple of years at the club.

There were plenty of occasions when his end product was questioned. Of course, in retrospect, his good performances foreshadowed what was to be.

It is to be hoped Martial has a Ronaldo-against-Bolton moment or two this season, offering a glimpse of potential brilliance to come.

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In general, though, he should be allowed to grow into his new environment at his own rate. An investment of that scale deserves nothing less.