West Ham must now be on red alert as Ben Jacobs has claimed Manchester United are now willing to listen to offers for Anthony Martial in January.
The former talkSPORT journalist told GIVEMESPORT [6 November] that the Frenchman had turned down offers from Saudi Arabia in the summer, and United are now looking for a clean break.
The East London club have been searching for a new striker, and Martial was named among their targets by The Mirror [14 August], who claimed West Ham wanted to get the move over the line.
After West Ham sold Gianluca Scamacca in the summer, they were left with just Michail Antonio and Danny Ings as their options to lead the line, leaving them scrambling to find a new striker, but they were ultimately unsuccessful before the window closed.
Both Ings and Antonio have been disappointing so far this season, with a combined 2 goals in 19 Premier League appearances so far this season, leaving David Moyes frustrated by his lack of options, although his faith in Antonio has been unwavering.
Now, though, Manchester United’s stance on Martial should give the East London club the perfect opportunity to land one of their targets, who would not only add depth to the position but a different style to either of the strikers currently on the books.
Football data site WhoScored lists passing, through balls and lay-offs under Martial’s strengths, while he also likes to get on the ball and move with it, ranking in the 78th percentile for successful take-ons [FBref].
These stats could prove Martial is the ideal man to link the Hammers’ attack, with Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus all especially capable in possession, which could lead to a fluid attacking line at the London Stadium.
