Dilemma of what Jose should do with Martial
JOSE Mourinho misquoted the Rolling Stones as he dwelt on Anthony Martial’s future. “You don’t always get what you want in life,” the United manager mused.
Mourinho had seconds earlier suggested he was oblivious to what Martial’s agent Philippe Lamboley had said on French television about the United forward last month. Lamboley did not strike while the iron was hot and Martial has not looked too hot on United’s pre-season tour so far.
He drifted to the fringes in the stalemate with Club America in Phoenix and was, by a distance, United’s poorest performer in Santa Clara.
Martial was one of two players who stayed on for the duration as he failed to register against San Jose Earthquakes, the MLS Western Conference’s basement club.
United became the first side to fail to score past them this season and Martial was moved from the centre forward’s role at the start of the second-half.
In heat which required two drinks breaks, Martial skulked around as though he was being punished.
Early in the second period, Alexis Sanchez rebuked Martial for making the wrong run. Martial, true to form, showed little stomach for a fight with Sanchez and he continues to be cowed by the Chilean.
Sanchez was on Tahith Chong’s case in the first-half and his voluble presence rubbed against some Arsenal teammates like sandpaper. They let their standards plummet and some at United are doing likewise.
Despite issuing a warning to Martial, Mourinho is understood to be open to selling him. His stance has not changed since he first arrived at United and his rationale is that if a player is uninterested in staying then he will be allowed to go, provided the fee and potential suitor are appropriate.
Martial has looked uninterested and was livelier waving to fans at the ground than he was on the pitch on Sunday. Hastening Martial’s exit would also give Mourinho the leverage to get a marquee forward. United have been in the market for one all summer but have made little headway.
If they discard a wantaway left winger and replace him then the lopsided attack’s balance might be redressed. The caveat is the United hierarchy are reluctant to sell Martial and would prefer him to sign a new contract. That is as much to safeguard the asset as a show of commitment in his ability; United have a one-year extension option in Martial’s deal to tie the 22-year-old to the club until 2020. In a post-Neymar climate where fourth-choice goalkeepers are commanding £10million fees, Martial is pushing £100m. Realistically, no club is going to fork out that amount. Tottenham are interested yet are frugal in the transfer market and have still not made an addition this summer. It is a similar story with Bayern Munich, whose record signing is the €41.5m Corentin Tolisso. Chelsea’s finances are still opaque and they will doubtless prioritise retaining Eden Hazard. With or without Martial, United have to back Mourinho. “One thing is what I want and another thing is what is going to happen,” he pessimistically replied when a reporter enquired about more signings. The rhetoric is similar to last year Jose Mourinho as he pined for Ivan Perisic, a judgement call vindicated by the Croat’s enterprising World Cup final display. Perisic was valued at £50m by Internazionale 12 months ago and has since signed a contract until 2022. They would want a minimum £80m in the current market.
As perverse as it seems under a manager who has spent £357.9m in two years, there is an element of miserliness going on under the Glazers again.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a free agent, Sanchez a swap, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nemanja Matic had entered the last year of their deals, as had Romelu Lukaku, while Diogo Dalot and Fred had release clauses.
Understandably, United are reluctant to pay exorbitant fees in an era where they were already doing it and the paint has not stuck to the wall.
Looking within, United have an insufficient depth of quality to breach a 19-point chasm with City. Marcus Rashford had two good games in the last five months of last term, Jesse Lingard’s winter purple patch did not extend into the spring, Romelu Lukaku failed to break the 30-goal barrier, Sanchez toiled and Juan Mata managed three goals.
Martial does not look like he wants to be there. But you can’t always get what you want.