Manchester United Transfer News: Gelson Martins Contract Boost, Latest Rumours

Contract talks are said to have broken down between Sporting Lisbon and reported Manchester United target Gelson Martins. 

That’s according to Correio de Manha (h/t James Cambridge of the Daily Express), where it’s stated that Martins is asking for a weekly wage of £9,000, with his current salary just £4,000 a week. However, Sporting are said to have scrapped a meeting with the player’s agent, Ulisses Santos, as they feel the demands are excessive.

As relayed by Cambridge, according to a report from Record, both the Red Devils and Real Madrid are said to be interested in the 19-year-old; there is reportedly a £52 million release clause in his contract.

Martins has enjoyed a tremendous beginning to the season with Sporting, excelling with the Lisbon club on the wing. Here’s a look at what he’s capable of:

The youngster was especially impressive during his team’s 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, as he gave experienced full-back Marcelo a torrid evening.

Martins is agile, speedy and inventive with the ball at his feet. Sport Witness’ Jan Hagen broke down his start to the 2016-17 term:

As such, it’s little surprise to see elite clubs linked to Martins. United have also enjoyed some prosperous dealings with Sporting in the past, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani both moving from Lisbon to Old Trafford; the former became the finest player in the world with the Red Devils before moving to Madrid.

Martins may look at someone like Ronaldo, who transferred to England at a young age and blossomed, and seek to follow in his footsteps.

However, some stability at Sporting would do no harm to his development. He’s playing a key role under manager Jorge Jesus, testing himself against strong opposition both domestically and in Europe.

Chelsea’s Paul Pogba Interest Revealed

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The agent of United midfielder Paul Pogba, Mino Raiola, has revealed that Chelsea wanted to sign the Frenchman last summer, although an agreement between the representative and Juventus stopped a deal going through.

“Paul could have left [Juventus] last year because [Jose] Mourinho–then at Chelsea—really wanted him,” Raiola told Rai Sport (h/t AFP Sport, via Sky Sports). “But Juventus and I had agreement: win the league title and the Champions League, then he can go.”

United boss Mourinho did get his man a year later, when the Red Devils brought Pogba back to the club in a world-record deal. The former Juventus man left Old Trafford for Turin in 2012, winning four league titles during his time in the iconic black and white.

Since arriving back at United, Pogba has been inconsistent, with moments of remarkable play mixed with frustrating lapses. Per OptaJoe, there do seem to be some signs that his influence is growing, though:

Had Mourinho managed to bring Pogba to Chelsea last summer, the landscape of English football could have looked very different.

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The Portuguese coach oversaw some underwhelming business for the Blues in the summer of 2015, and they struggled out of the blocks in defence of their Premier League title. Eventually Mourinho was sacked with Chelsea languishing in 16th spot.

Pogba alongside the likes of Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas in midfield may have been the refreshing influence the team needed to kick on again. And while his return to England hasn’t been totally smooth so far, you suspect those tied to Chelsea will eventually lament their club not getting that one over the line.