They have questioned his workrate, but no one has ever doubted his talent.
Anthony Martial has endured a challenging second season at Manchester United, as he struggles to win over Jose Mourinho.
Arjen Robben, Juan Mata, Kevin De Bruyne… the list of talented, hard-to-define attacking players that have fallen foul of the Portuguese is long and star-studded.
Martial’s somewhat languid style may not have enamoured him to the Manchester United boss, with stories emerging about homesickness also, as the French star failed to recapture the form of his stunning debut season when he scored 17 goals.
Still, his delightful opener on Sunday against Burnley brings him to eight for the season, with fans and Graeme Souness alike believing there is “a player in that boy”.
Have they got a point? https://t.co/pzapX55rNe
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) April 23, 2017
His first since February, it was a top quality goal from a top quality player, but it has come at a price. A big price.
Martial was signed from Monaco as the world’s most expensive teenager and a lot of the potential total will be reached thanks to add-ons relating to career milestones.
After paying an initial £36m, United could end up paying up to £58m.
What we know is Manchester United now owe the Champions League semi-finalists another £8.5m after that Turf Moor effort, as it was his 25th for the club.
The complex clauses of the deal specify United would pay Monaco £8.5m when Martial scored 25 goals for United and another £8.5m when he makes 25 appearances for France (he is currently on 15).
Fans might have hoped he would have reached the milestone sooner but, with Juan Mata and Zlatan Ibrahimovic injured, supporters will be glad that Martial is back in the team and costing the club money.
