Manchester United paid AS Monaco such a high fee for Anthony Martial to beat a host of major clubs to his signature, reports the Daily Express.
The Red Devils splashed out £36 million on the 19-year-old, which could rise to £58 million with if all clauses are activated, according to the Express.
Such a high fee for a young player will put huge pressure on his shoulders, but the Old Trafford outfit felt it was necessary to do so to beat Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Paris St. Germain to his signature.
Even with this revelation, it is surprising that United paid so much for a player with only 52 Ligue 1 appearances. Similarly, in 44 matches in all competitions last season, the teenager scored only ten goals. Expectant fans will surely demand the youngster to significantly improve on that under Louis van Gaal.
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The youngster may not have even been the Premier League side’s first choice to sign this summer. They were linked with a number of major European stars during the transfer window, including but not limited to Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale [respected journalist Tancredi Palmeri], Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller [Daily Express], and Barcelona’s Neymar [The Sun].
All three are better known than Martial, but it is the France Under 21 international who United have ended up with.