“Oh yeah, welcome to Manchester United… Anthony Martial!”
Goosebump-inducing lines from then-Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler hailed the teenager’s impressive start to life at Old Trafford, with the 19-year-old arriving on deadline day on a big fee from AS Monaco.
He showcased himself in the perfect way in the 3–1 win against Liverpool and enjoyed an excellent first season in Manchester, finishing as the club’s top scorer in all competitions and scoring some memorable goals. that They faced Everton in the FA Cup semi-final and were the final winners at Wembley.
The arrival of Jose Mourinho, alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, may have stunted that progress, but the Frenchman’s youthful flourishes were nonetheless a joy to watch, with a strong resemblance to the future Ballon d’Or winner.
No matter how you look at it, United and INEOS are chasing a similar deal ahead of this summer.
Martial wants to move to Manchester United next
As has become clear, midfield will be a priority in the Old Trafford hierarchy ahead of next season, with Casemiro expected to leave and Manuel Ugarte to follow.
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A number of names have been mentioned as candidates for the midfield position, but the one that will attract the most attention may be Real Madrid’s Aurélien Choameny. The 25-year-old is said to be on the club’s summer shortlist.
But he is not the only French player on the Red Devils’ radar, with reports earlier this week suggesting they are one of the clubs keeping an eye on Bournemouth star Eli Junior Crupi.
According to Football Insider, there are suggestions the 19-year-old wants a move amid growing interest from both United and Liverpool, with the article outlining that he is “keen” to move on from Vitality.
Understandably, the Cherries are not ready to cash in, but if a ‘big offer’ arrives they are likely to consider selling the player, who only joined from Lorient last summer.
As for price, previous reports suggest that a fee of around £60 million could be enough to seal the deal.
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Back in September 2015, United paid a then-record fee for a teenager to bring Martial to Manchester, but the former Lyon youngster shone under manager Louis van Gaal, scoring 17 goals that season.
Even after scoring 17 goals in the Premier League during the coronavirus-ravaged 2019/20 season, it’s fair to say that, although there were signs of brilliance during his time at Old Trafford, he never really got any better.
Cutting in from the left in particular was extremely deadly as Monterrey’s current striker showed his true potential, and he was regularly seen curling the ball into the top corner with ease.
Given the teenager’s impressive performances so far on his Premier League debut, United could very well sign a modern-day version of Martial in exchange for Crupi.
Still only 19, the £60m-valued starlet is already “one of the best finishers in the Premier League” in the opinion of former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, and that’s something United saw first-hand in the 2025/26 season.
In fact, the France Under-21 international has proven he is no mean bully this season, scoring both home and away against the Red Devils as well as against league leaders Arsenal.
Although he still has a few games left, he has already reached 10 goals in the Premier League, the most by a teenager in his first top-flight season since Robbie Keane did it for Coventry in 1999/2000. He is also closing in on the record for most goals scored by a teenager in a Premier League season since 2000, surpassing Wayne Rooney.
Most goals scored by a teenager* | ||
|---|---|---|
player | season | the goal |
looney | 04/05 | 11 |
croup | 25/26 | 10 |
green wood | 19/20 | 10 |
Defoe | 01/02 | 10 |
sterling | 13/14 | 9 |
looney | 03/04 | 8 |
Iheanacho | 15/16 | 8 |
nolan | 01/02 | 8 |
*During PL season since 2000 | ||
Martial, who turned 20 in December 2015, finished his first season with 11 league goals, although he only scored one goal on his debut against members of the so-called Big Six.
Crupi is already ahead of the curve in that regard and believes he could be a long-term and valuable investment to strengthen INEOS’ attacking line, following in the footsteps of Matheus Cunha and Brian Mbeumo, both of whom joined from fellow Premier League sides.
At just 19 years old, the Bournemouth forward has currently outscored all Old Trafford players in the league, missing just three ‘big chances’, boasting a goal conversion rate of 26% and scoring once every 132 minutes.
For comparison, Benjamin Sesko, Crupi’s senior three years, has scored nine league goals so far, but has a goal conversion rate of just 16%, missed 11 “big chances” and only scores once every 167 minutes.
Crupi represents an upgrade in that sense, already boasting frighteningly clinical goalscoring qualities similar to Martial in his prime.
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