Why Anthony Martial Is the Man Manchester United Can’t Afford to Lose in Summer

There are, in truth, two players in the Manchester United squad the club needs to keep hold of this summer: Anthony Martial and David De Gea. Of the two, though, it is holding onto the brilliant young Frenchman that is most crucial to the Red Devils.

That might run contrary to received wisdom.

After all, the counterargument reads De Gea is closer to being the finished article than Martial. He is—while the term is generally ephemeral and hard to pin down—truly worthy of the label world-class. In this case, the usage is based on the fact almost any team in the world would be improved by his presence.

That might not yet be the case for Martial, but there are two key reasons why—were push to come to shove—it should be he United keep on their books.

The first is about the PR of the thing. De Gea’s presence at United is a bonus. It should have been all over; there should have been a season of getting used to having Keylor Navas between the sticks at Old Trafford. The Costa Rican told Cadena COPE got as far as the airport last summer before learning he would be staying in Madrid after all (h/t the Press Association, via the Guardian). 

Thus, if United lost De Gea this summer, they could at least take comfort from the fact he stayed for one more year—a year …

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