da aposte e ganhe： Former Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka is concerned that Anthony Martial will be under “too much pressure” at Manchester United because of the fee paid for his signature.
da leao： The two-cap France international joined the Red Devils from Monaco on transfer deadline day last week for a fee of £36m, which may rise to £58.8m.
At the age of 19, the figure paid for Martial, irrespective of possible add-ons, makes the young forward the most expensive teenager in the history of the game and has already been dubbed a massive risk by many as he’s only netted 15 senior goals in his career to date.
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Although some believe his talent will shine through, Anelka is concerned that his compatriot will not be able to handle the level of attention and scrutiny he will be under in the Premier League:
“It’s a crazy money; big, big money and big pressure for him,” he is quoted by the Daily Star.
“I think it’ll be too much pressure for him. Because he’s young he’ll have to prove his value, that he’s worth €80m. It’s going to be tough for him.
“But he’s signing for a good club and I hope they will be able to make him feel he has time to improve and to settle into the club, the league and the country.
“With the money paid, it’s not easy to show straight away what your capabilities are, so United will need to be patient. When you go for this kind of money you don’t get time, but they will have to give him time to become the player they want him to be.
“It’s hard, very hard. It took me one year to become good on the pitch and also happy both on the pitch and outside it.
“It’s not easy. And even more so for Martial because when I came I cost £500,000. Now it’s €80m.
“So it’s going to be hard for him. The expectation will be big and everyone will recognise him as the most expensive transfer in England. It’s a big pressure.”
Anelka spent the bulk of his career in the Premier League, playing for the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton, Chelsea and West Brom before winding his career down in India.
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