3 years ago
Anthony Martial's time at Manchester United could be coming to an end soon, with Barcelona keeping an eye on the out-of-favour striker.
Martial has fallen further down the pecking order at Old Trafford since the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho in the summer.
Barcelona's interest in Martial has been reported by Mundo Deportivo, who claims that Xavi Hernandez rates the former Monaco player's qualities.
What went wrong for Martial while he was at Manchester United?
Martial joined Manchester United in September 2015 for a fee of 36 million pounds, making him the most expensive teenager at the time and one of Europe's most exciting prospects.
He got off to a dream start at Manchester United, scoring on his debut in a 3-1 win over Liverpool. He has gradually faded out of the picture at the club after a successful first season.
During his time at the club, Martial has won the FA Cup, Europa League, and Carabao Cup, but his importance in the team has dwindled year after year.
What can Manchester United's Anthony Martial bring to Barcelona?
On his day, Martial is an electrifying player who can give defenders fits. His recent years at Manchester United have demonstrated that he is a confident player who performs best when he plays consistently and has faith of his coach
Should he join Barcelona, he would form an exciting partnership with Memphis Depay, who has settled in well since joining on a free transfer from Lyon in the summer.
Another reason Barcelona may want to sign Martial is that he could persuade his compatriot Ousmane Dembele to sign a new contract with the club.
The Catalan club was widely chastised for loaning out Luuk de Jong in the summer, but Martial would be considered a significant upgrade over the Dutchman.
What comes next?
Manchester United have been in advanced talks with Ralf Rangnick, who is set to become interim manager until the end of the season before taking on a two-year consultancy role at the club, since sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and he may have different plans for Martial.
Xavi and Barcelona will be hoping he is available, even if only on loan, with the Blaugrana looking to bring in cheap players in January given their current financial situation.
Despite having spoken with Manchester United about Martial's availability, Barcelona will have to wait a few weeks to see if he is put up for sale.
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