7 players Man Utd could sign using £50m fee for Martial as Inter move nears
Anthony Martial finally looks set to leave Manchester United this summer, as he edges closer to a move to Inter.
Martial is reportedly expected to join the Serie A champions as a replacement for Romelu Lukaku, who is expected to re-join Chelsea for £97.5million.
The Frenchman will leave behind a disappointing spell in England following his £36million transfer from Monaco in 2015.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be keen to use the money obtained from the 25-year-old to bolster his squad in order to keep pace with rivals.
With that in mind, here are seven players United could sign to replace Martial.
Saul Niguez
The Atletico Madrid midfielder has been linked with a move to the Premier League throughout the summer, with Man Utd battling Liverpool for the Spaniards’ signature.
The Mirror recently reported that Saul’s representatives had flown to the UK to sort out a transfer, but nothing has materialised as of yet.
The 26-year-old has a release clause in the region of £125million, but Atletico appear to be willing to allow Saul to leave for as little as £40million given the current climate.
Saul had been a key figure for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, but the midfielder endured fewer starts in the previous campaign.
Kieran Trippier
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The England international is another Simeone player being linked with a move to England.
The 30-year-old right-back moved abroad for the first time in his career in 2019, after swapping Tottenham for Atletico Madrid.
United have been heavily linked with the defender during the transfer window, but they will reportedly face stiff competition from Arsenal.
Atletico are demanding £34million for Trippier, who would compete with Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the right-back position at Old Trafford.
Trippier was asked about his future while away at Euro 2020 with England, but the defender dismissed any talking linking him with a move away from Spain.
“I’ve just enjoyed the season [at Atlético] and we’ve won the title,” he told The Guardian. “I’m away with England, we’re playing Denmark and I’m not focusing on my club or what is going on."
Eduardo Camavinga
The central midfielder has already made 36 appearances in Ligue 1 – where he has become a regular starter for Rennes, and played four times in the Champions League.
But signing the 18-year-old will not be easy given he is one of the hottest prospects in European football.
Camavinga became the youngest player to play for the French senior squad since Rene Gerard in 1932, when he made his debut in August 2020.
The Rennes youngster already has a number of European football’s biggest names trying to sign him and United are rumoured to be one of them.
Antoine Griezmann
Barcelona’s crippling financial situation is set to have consequences beyond being unable to re-sign Lionel Messi.
Griezmann is once again being linked with a move away from the Catalan giants and United could use the money generated from Martial’s sale to help fund the Frenchman.
According to outlet Todofichajes, The Red Devils are reportedly already preparing a bid for the 30-year-old, who only joined Barcelona from Atletico in 2019.
When asked about Griezmann's potential exit from Barcelona, club president Joan Laporta said:
“With Antoine, we don’t have any problem. We love him."
“But if the market moves, we are open to all offers because we are in a delicate moment where we have to balance financial fair play and because of that, we should speak with all the players so that it does not hurt them, or [if it does] for the least time possible.
“We are making these balances and are open to all the options that the market can give us, but we don’t want to harm the team competitively,” he told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.
Ruben Neves
The Portuguese midfielders’ impressive performances have not gone unnoticed in England.
United have already been rumoured to be interested in signing the 24-year-old, but could step up their pursuit of the Wolves midfielder should Martial exit the club.
Neves scored five Premier League goals in the previous campaign, as well as recording one assist.
However, last week Neves played down speculation linking him with a move away from Molineux.
“When you want to play at the highest level of football you have to be ready,’ the former Porto star told Wolves TV.
“It’s my job and I need to work hard. I had a great time with family and now I’m completely focused here, to be fit for the start of the Premier League. It’s about pre-season and hard work – getting fit for the Premier League. That’s the main thing.
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“We are getting the ideas of the new coach and I think we are doing well. We have a lot to improve but I think we are doing a great job. We still have two weeks – it’s a good time to train and improve. Let’s go for it!”
Declan Rice
An alternative to Neves could be West Ham and England star Declan Rice.
The 22-year-old played a crucial role in the Hammer’s road to Europe last season, but the young midfielder may look to push for a move to a bigger club in order to further his development.
The Red Devils remain in need of a defensive midfielder and have already been linked with Rice.
However, West Ham’s £90million valuation of the player could prevent any move from taking place this summer.
Erling Haaland
Martial’s departure could mean United will be back in the hunt for Borussia Dortmund star Haaland, after missing out on the Norwegian forward 18 months ago.
Haaland scored 41 goals in 41 games during his first season in Germany and has already netted a hat-trick during his side’s first competitive match of the season in the DFB-Pokal.
And according to The Sun, Solskjaer’s new contract could put the Red Devils in pole position.
However, Dortmund head of football Sebastien Kehl has maintained that the player is not for sale this summer.
“We have made our decision clear,” said Kehl.
“Erling feels super comfortable here. He wants to achieve something with this team and I don’t get the feeling at all that he wants to leave.”
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