Ray Parlour has heaped pressure on new Manchester United signing Anthony Martial, claiming the French striker will be an “expensive flop”.
A Deadline Day signing for an initial £36m fee, potentially rising to £58m with incentives and bonuses made Martial the most expensive teenager in football history, however Parlour does not believe that the former Monaco man will cut it in the Premier League.
John Downes, reporting for the Daily Mail says that when asked if Parlour thought the 19-year-old would succeed, he replied:
I look forward to seeing him play, but I think it’s going to be a miss, because the money they’ve spent is a unbelievable amount.
If he proves to be like Thierry Henry, which is what a lot of people are saying, then he could obviously be a great signing, but I think it’s a massive gamble to take on a 19-year-old kid.
Martial’s style of play has drawn many comparisons to Thierry Henry, often drifting out to the left in the final third, attacking with pace, power and is at times proving himself to be a clinical finisher.
If Martial blossoms into a player anywhere near Henry’s standard then he will be deemed a good signing, however it remains to be seen if the man with only 11 first-team goals to his name can live up to the expectations his fee provides.
