Jose Mourinho will not be too happy with the way the season has progressed for Manchester United. They can still lift the FA Cup but the manager seems desperate to improve his side for the next season and has already been linked with some of the finest stars in Europe.
One such player is Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic.
Mourinho Ready To Offer Martial For Pulisic:
Having grown frustrated with French international Anthony Martial recently, Mourinho is reportedly ready to offload him this summer. There are a number of suitors for the youngster but reports from The Mirror now claim that United are ready to use Martial in a deal to try and lure Pulisic to Old Trafford.
It is understood that Manchester United are readying a cash+ player bid for Pulisic, that will see Martial move to the Bundesliga next season. Pulisic is valued at just £40m and is also wanted by the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. So is this swap deal a good move by Mourinho?
Can They Afford To Lose Martial?
The biggest question for United will be if they can afford to lose Martial? The 22-year old, who has managed just 18 league starts this season, has nine goals and five assists to his name and has been decent in front of goal. He has mainly been used on the left flank but is more effective as a striker.
But Lukaku is the first choice for Mourinho and it looks like Marcus Rashford is next in line to lead the attack, leaving Martial with only a place on the flank. Alexis Sanchez plays a similar role, which has seen Martial frustrated with his game time.
But at 22, he still remains one of the most exciting stars in Europe and it might seem that United cannot afford to lose such quality. However, he does not have a particular role in the first team at Old Trafford and his loss can easily be replaced, even within the team.
But the fact that they will replace Martial with Pulisic, an outright winger, will make the loss of the French youngster all the easier to digest.
What Will Pulisic Bring To Old Trafford:
Now that we have established that signing Pulisic to replace Martial is a decent bet, it is now important to understand what the US international brings to Manchester United.
A versatile attacker, who can play on the wing or in a no.10 role. Pulisic is an exciting talent with gifted technique and understanding of the game. He has four goals and five assists in 26 league starts in Germany and at just 19, is showing great maturity, playing week in week out, for one of the best teams in Europe.
He has shown his weaknesses and his lack of consistency will also be an issue but at just 19, he is a star in the making and is an absolute steal for any club in Europe.
He can not only be an upgrade on Martial on the wing but is also slightly better suited to Mourinho’s style of play than the Frenchman is. So a deal for Pulisic in place of Martial is a no-brainer at the moment for United.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
