Could £36m Manchester United forward Anthony Martial leave Old Trafford for Premier League rivals West Ham United?
West Ham would consider selling star defender Issa Diop to Manchester United after all – but only if Anthony Martial goes in the other direction, according to The Independent.
Say what you want about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tactical acumen, the Norwegian appears to be fully aware about what Manchester United need as they look to re-establish themselves among the top clubs in European football. Namely, young, hungry talent. And, in particular, commanding, tough tackling centre-backs.
With that in mind, Diop fits the bill.
Sky claimed this week that United have seen a £45 million bid for the former Toulouse captain turned down.
And if they really want to bring Diop to Old Trafford, they may have to part with French international forward Martial.
A £36 million signing from Monaco in 2015 (BBC), Martial has shown flashes of brilliance in the famous red shirt, scoring 12 goals last season, but he remains maddeningly inconsistent with questions being frequently asked about his application.
His potential departure is likely to spit the United fanbase right down the middle. But is Martial worth sacrificing to bring in a centre-back who could, alongside Victor Lindelof, form the sort of top class partnership the club has needed since the days of Ferdinand and Vidic?
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