Manchester United may do Tottenham a massive transfer favor

Jadon Sancho’s impending arrival at Old Trafford means Manchester United have no use for Anthony Martial. That’s opened the door for Tottenham to swoop in. 

Manchester United are set to finally complete their capture of Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho in the coming days. That leaves Anthony Martial surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. That reality has officials at Tottenham on high alert.

According to ESPN, Martial will struggle to earn game time next season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if he stays put. That’s why both the player and club will be keen to see him move on this summer.

Tottenham are one club that would be more than happy to provide Martial a comfortable landing spot. Spurs are still on the hunt for a new manager, but the club’s new director of football, Fabio Paratici, is on the lookout for attackers who can strengthen the club’s attack around Harry Kane.

Heung-Min Son provides the club great balance on one wing, but Tottenham could benefit from an upgrade on the other side of the pitch. A starting attacking trio of Kane, Son and Martial could really torment opposing Premier League defenders next season.

Can Tottenham actually afford Martial?

Buying Martial would tick a lot of boxes for Spurs, but they are working with a limited transfer budget this summer. Paratici needs to be very particular about where he spends his cash if he wants to get Tottenham back into Champions League contention.

The unanswered question at the moment is just how much money United will require to let go of Martial. He’s not a great fit with their current squad, but officials at Old Trafford will be hesitant to ship him to an English rival on a cut-rate deal.

Tottenham officials should expect United to quote an inflated price for Martial immediately. Something around £50 million might be where the negotiations begin.

Spurs won’t be a serious suitor in that price range. They should wait to see if the Martial market fails to materialize at that level before truly jumping into the race. Tottenham should only jump into the fray to rescue the French attacker if they can secure him for £30 million or less.

There’s always a chance that another club will meet United’s full asking price, but he’s a distressed asset at this juncture of his career. Spurs will only move for him if they can take advantage of that reality.