“Ohh yes, welcome to Manchester United… Anthony Martial!”
That goosebump-inducing line from then-Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler welcomed in a remarkable start to life at Old Trafford for a teenage Martial, the 19-year-old having arrived on deadline day for a bumper fee from AS Monaco.
He announced himself in perfect fashion in that 3-1 win over Liverpool, going on to enjoy a stellar first season in Manchester in which he finished as the club’s top scorer in all competitions, memorably scoring that last-gasp Wembley winner against Everton in the FA Cup semi-final.
The arrival of Jose Mourinho, alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, may have curtailed that progress, yet the Frenchman in his youthful pomp was such a delight to watch, looking very much like a future Ballon d’Or winner.
By all accounts, United and INEOS are chasing a similar deal heading into this summer.
The next Martial now wants to join Man Utd
Midfield, as has been made clear, will be the priority for the Old Trafford hierarchy ahead of next season, with Casemiro departing and Manuel Ugarte expected to follow.
A raft of names have been mentioned in that midfield pursuit, although the most eye-catching may well be that of Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni, amid claims that the 25-year-old is on the club’s summer shortlist.
He’s not the only Frenchman that the Red Devils are looking at, however, with reports earlier this week suggesting that they are among the clubs keeping a close eye on Bournemouth starlet, Eli Junior Kroupi.
As per Football Insider, there is the suggestion that the 19-year-old wants to make the switch, amid such interest from both United and Liverpool, with the piece outlining that he is ‘keen’ to make the move away from the Vitality.
The Cherries, unsurprisingly, aren’t ready to cash in, although if a ‘big money offer’ comes their way, it is likely that they will consider the sale of a player who only arrived from Lorient last summer.
In terms of a price tag, prior reports have indicated that a fee of around £60m could be enough to strike a deal.
Why Kroupi could be the new Martial at Man Utd
Back in September 2015, United dished out what was then a record fee for a teenager in order to bring Martial to Manchester, with the ex-Lyon youngster going on to sparkle after hitting 17 goals that season under Louis van Gaal’s watch.
It could be argued that it never truly got better than that, even after netting 17 Premier League goals in a Covid-hit 2019/20 campaign, although there were flashes of brilliance throughout his Old Trafford tenure.
Cutting in off the left flank, in particular, the current Monterrey striker was so deadly at his best, regularly seen curling the ball into the far top corner with consummate ease.
In Kroupi, United could very well sign the modern-day version of Martial, considering the teenager’s exploits this season, having enjoyed his own stunning Premier League debut campaign to date.
Still only 19, the £60m-rated starlet is already “one of the best finishers in the Premier League”, in the view of ex-Liverpool striker, Daniel Sturridge, something which United have seen first-hand in 2025/26.
Indeed, the France U21 international has scored home and away against the Red Devils this season, as he has against league leaders Arsenal, ensuring he is no flat-track bully.
With a handful of games still to play, he is already up to ten Premier League goals, the most scored by a teenager in their first top-flight campaign since Robbie Keane at Coventry back in 1999/2000. He’s also close to bettering Wayne Rooney as the most scored by a teenager in any Premier League season since 2000.
|
Most goals scored by a teenager* |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Season |
Goals |
|
Rooney |
04/05 |
11 |
|
Kroupi |
25/26 |
10 |
|
Greenwood |
19/20 |
10 |
|
Defoe |
01/02 |
10 |
|
Sterling |
13/14 |
9 |
|
Rooney |
03/04 |
8 |
|
Iheanacho |
15/16 |
8 |
|
Nolan |
01/02 |
8 |
|
*in a PL season since 2000 |
||
In Martial’s case – who turned 20 in December 2015 – he finished that first year with 11 league goals, albeit while only scoring once, on debut, against any member of the so-called ‘Big Six’.
Kroupi already appears ahead in that regard, ensuring he could be a long-term, worthwhile investment to bolster INEOS’ attacking ranks, following in the footsteps of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo by joining from a fellow Premier League side.
The Bournemouth forward, at just 19, has outscored every player back at Old Trafford in the league as things stand, missing just three ‘big chances’, boasting a goal conversion rate of 26% and scoring once every 132 minutes.
For comparison, Benjamin Sesko – three years Kroupi’s senior – has scored nine league goals thus far, recording a goal conversion rate of just 16%, missing 11 ‘big chances’ and scoring just once every 167 minutes.
Kroupi would represent an upgrade in that sense, already boasting a frighteningly clinical goalscoring quality akin to Martial at his peak.
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