Barcelona is reportedly considering recruiting Anthony Martial, a Manchester United outcast, in a part-exchange deal in January.
Barcelona may not be able to afford to sign Anthony Martial on a cash deal in the January transfer window, according to a report by Spanish website Fichajes. As a result, the Blaugrana might offer one of Ousmane Dembele, Clement Lenglet, Philippe Coutinho, or Frenkie de Jong in a part-exchange deal to Manchester United.
Anthony Martial’s time at Manchester United has been a roller-coaster journey, with him finishing two seasons as the club’s top scorer while also having seasons where he had little impact. For the past 18 months, this has been the case, with Martial’s influence waning and becoming progressively so.
Martial’s current season has been a disappointment, as he has only played 359 minutes in ten games and has only scored one goal. The Frenchman’s frustrations have reached a boiling point at Old Trafford, and he is ready to go in the January transfer window. A case like this has piqued Barcelona’s interest.
READ ALSO: Cristiano Ronaldo Man Utd dressing room issues emerge as duo set for exit
Barcelona’s desire is understandable, given Sergio Aguero’s forced retirement, which has left Xavi Hernandez short on quality options to lead the line. The only natural strikers available to the Barcelona boss are Martin Braithwaite and Luuk de Jong. Neither player, though, is compelling enough to play at the front of the attacking unit on a regular basis.
As a result, the Catalan giants will need to dip their toes in the January transfer market for a striker, which is why they have set their sights on Martial. Barcelona, on the other hand, cannot afford to sign the Manchester United outcast on a cash deal and may instead offer the Red Devils a part-exchange agreement.
Barcelona might offer one of Ousmane Dembele, Clement Lenglet, Philippe Coutinho, or Frenkie de Jong in response to such a bid. Coutinho was recently offered to Manchester United, with the Premier League giants keen to sign de Jong.
RelatedPosts
The report, however, does not state whether Manchester United will accept a part-exchange deal for Martial. Manchester United should ideally be interested in acquiring de Jong as part of the deal, since the Barcelona midfielder might be a long-term replacement for Paul Pogba. It remains to be seen whether Barcelona’s alleged proposal will be implemented in January.
