Could Arsenal offer Anthony Martial an escape from Manchester United?

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Arsenal are thought to be preparing to offer Anthony Martial an escape from a disappointing spell at Manchester United.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger sees Martial as a cheaper alternative to Kylian Mbappe, the sought-after Monaco youngster. Mbappe has courted interest from the likes of Real Madrid and it would likely take a world-record transfer bid to prise him away from the Ligue 1 champions.

Martial has been marginalised under Jose Mourinho, making only 25 Premier League appearances and scoring four goals last season. This compared with 31 appearances and 11 goals in his first campaign at Old Trafford, when Louis van Gaal was in the hot seat.

The Frenchman  joined United, incidentally from Monaco, as a 19-year-old for a fee rising to £58 million, according to BBC Sport. At the time it was viewed as a huge amount of money for a youngster who was largely unproven.

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He has been used in various attacking positions under van Gaal and Mourinho, but was signed predominantly as a goalscorer. However, the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and emergence of Marcus Rashford limited his opportunities to be considered an out-an-out striker.

Arsenal have also been strongly linked with a move for Lyon marksman Alexandre Lacazette, with a latest report in the Daily Express claiming that they may need to pay up to £57 million for his signature.

Wenger is clearly looking to bolster his attacking weaponry this summer after missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time as Gunners manager. Martial fits the profile of player he likes; young, quick and with room to improve. Martial’s versatility will also appeal.

Nonetheless, a reported figure of £40 million sounds high for a player who has hardly taken the Premier League by storm and may struggle to break into the starting XI ahead of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.