French football legend Thierry Henry on Wednesday said Manchester United's latest signing of French striker Anthony Martial is a "massive gamble" for the English Premier League (EPL) giants
Thierry Henry
Manchester: French football legend Thierry Henry on Wednesday said Manchester United's latest signing of French striker Anthony Martial is a "massive gamble" for the English Premier League (EPL) giants.
Thierry Henry
The 19-year-old signed for the English Premier League giants on Tuesday leaving Monaco for a transfer fee of 36 million pounds ($55.02 million).
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Martial has also been compared to Henry and is considered to be among the top exciting young talents in Europe for his ability to score goals and dashing speed.
"(Martial) has pace, can he score a lot of goals?," Henry was quoted by dailymail.co.uk.
"I actually don't know because he's only played 52 games. It's a weird one for me to say. It's a massive gamble that you need to take nowadays because of the situation Man United have."
The former Arsenal star striker said the teenager has a bright future but there is always a question mark if he can perform at such a big stage.
"We saw him at the Emirates (stadium in London) last season playing with Monaco and causing trouble to the Arsenal defence, he has a bright future," Henry said.
"But there's always a question mark, whether he can perform."
Henry added the transfer fee for such an inexperienced player was mind-blowing and that Martial needs to understand quickly what his role will be at United.
"(Martial) played at the weekend against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and he can play in the middle. Is it going to take him a bit of time to adjust and understand what the job requires? Yes, because he only played 52 professional games. It (the fee) is mind-blowing," said the 38-year-old.
"You have a lot of boxes that you can't tick with him because I repeat he has only played 52 games. You are not the same player you are after 100 or 150 games from the 50 that you start with -- especially as a centre forward," he added.
"You need games, experience and time out there to perform. I wish him all the best and think he can do well," concluded the 1998 FIFA World Cup winner.
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