The renaissance of Anthony Martial has “changed Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United transfer plans”, claims The Independent.
The paper says that the Frenchman, who scored a stunner in United’s 4-2 win at Watford on Tuesday, was edging towards the Old Trafford exit next year after a slump in form led the Special One to question his worth. But, says the Indy, now that the 21-year-old is “ruthless and renewed”, Mourinho has reappraised the young Gallic goalscorer.
Instead of placing him on the transfer list, the United boss will harness Martial’s new-found confidence which has seen him score eight goals in 20 games this season, the same number he bagged after 42 appearances in the 2016-17 campaign.
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Apparently the Frenchman struggled to work out what Mourinho wanted from him last season, following his appointment as manager, but everything has now “clicked” into place and the pair now have a fruitful relationship.
Consequently, says the Independent, the Manchester United boss is unlikely to reopen his pursuit of Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic in the new year, believing that in Martial he has a player who can fulfil the role he once envisaged for the Serie A frontman.
It’s thought that Mourinho has called off the chase for Atletico Madrid marksman Antoine Griezmann and Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale in the belief that neither would bring much to his squad.
That could shatter Real’s dream of landing David De Gea, claims the Daily Star. The paper reports that the European champions are planning to propose a swap deal to United.
In return for giving the Red Devils the injury-prone Bale, they would take custody of De Gea. The United gloveman has long been linked with a move to the Bernabeu. The Spanish outlet Don Balon says that Real coach Zinedine Zidane has concocted the cunning plan in a final desperate attempt to prise De Gea from Old Trafford.
