Anthony Martial is the Chelsea rumor that will not go away
By Travis Tyler
Anthony Martial to Chelsea is perhaps the most frequented rumor for the Blues in 2018. The player is good but is there a chance?
The Anthony Martial to Chelsea rumor is a bit like the ocean. It comes in, it goes out, rinse and repeat. The rumor has never really gone away during the entirety of 2018 though it has faded in and out of relevance.
But if a rumor is this frequent for this long there is clearly something to it somewhere. The latest reports are that Manchester United is “braced” for an onslaught of interest in January. Of course, they could always say no but that does not seem to deter Chelsea.
Could it actually happen? Yes surely. If it does, where will Martial fit in at Chelsea? Well that is a bit more complicated. But it is clear the Blues want Martial badly and will keep prodding United until something happens.
United are stuck between a rock and a hard place of their own design. Though Martial and Jose Mourinho currently have a mutual understanding, that is by no means guaranteed to last. So it becomes a war of attrition. Martial’s contract is running out and the club clearly recognizes his talent, but they understand that Mourinho does not favor the Frenchman overall (he favors him currently because he is helping Mourinho keep his head above water).
United will not want Martial to go for free and they understand that as long as Mourinho is at United, there is little chance Martial will extend his contract. That is where a club like Chelsea is looking to take advantage of the situation.
Chelsea would likely have to pay high dollar for a player of Martial’s potential even with his contract running down. There is a chance that the Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic deals pay off with a lowered price, but few should hold their breath for that one.
There is also the idea of strengthening a top six rival midseason. That could be lessened if the swap with Willian reignites, but United is unlikely to do that for Mourinho if they think he is a dead man walking.
So yes, a deal is possible but difficult. Then things will turn to where Martial would fit in at Chelsea. The natural reaction is to believe he will go in at right wing (especially if a swap with Willian occurs). But a better use for Martial in Maurizio Sarri’s system would be as a striker.
Martial was Kylian Mbappe at Monaco before Mbappe was a household name. That is why United bought him but he was almost immediately converted into a winger. He is much better on the left than the right which is obviously an issue at Chelsea. But Mourinho has been using Martial as a striker on occasion and that is likely still his best position.
Sarrismo, in its current form, has used two types of strikers: a target man to hold up play and a link up man who can get in behind. The latter is where Sarrismo has been most successful and Martial would slot into that role perfectly. It would be harsh on Alvaro Morata but not completely unwarranted.
Time will tell if this rumor comes to anything. Like the Alexis Sanchez rumor, the interest is clearly there but the means and will to bring it over the line is another issue. Martial would improve Chelsea’s attack greatly, but the Blues must be willing to do what is necessary to bring him in. United will do their best to squeeze as much as they can out of the situation.