5 Reasons why the Pulisic - Martial swap needs to happen

The end of the summer transfer window is fast approaching. 9th August is the D-day for most clubs in the Premier League, including Manchester United.

Liverpool are in the position where United used to be during the Sir Alex Ferguson era with their transfer business done early. On the other hand, Jose Mourinho’s bosses are scrambling to make signings.

Mourinho has been evidently unhappy with United’s transfer business so far. His desire to fill the voids in defense and the right side of attack has gone unfulfilled.

For the defense, United are being quoted exorbitant prices by clubs aware of their desperation and their deep pockets. Toby Alderweireld, Jerome Boateng and Harry Maguire are all apparently worth more than 50 million pounds.

Spurs have quoted an exorbitant fee for Toby Alderweireld

The gap of an experienced world class player at central defense is indeed a huge one. But the issue on the right side of United’s attack can potentially be solved through a transfer that will ensure all parties are happy - Jose Mourinho, Ed Woodward, and the clubs and players involved.

The potential transfer I'm talking about here is a swap involving Christian Pulisic, Borussia Dortmund’s right-sided attacker, with Anthony Martial, Manchester United’s disaffected and talented young man who is at loggerheads with his manager.

Why will this transfer be a win for all parties involved? Here are five reasons to elaborating on that.

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#1 The right flank of Manchester United’s attack

The situation that United are in right now is grave and ridiculous in equal amounts. The club have three players who prefer to play on the wing. Unfortunately for them, all of them are primarily left-wing players.

They are stocked with the attacking talents of Sanchez, Martial, Rashford, Mata, Lingard and Pogba. Yet the right-wing has a huge void.

A lot of United’s players ‘can’ operate on the right wing, but none of them, except maybe Mata, have proven themselves to be effective there.

When playing on the right wing, Rashford looks lost, Martial just sulks, and Mata, with his lack of pace, becomes more of a number 10 with a nominal starting position on the right wing.

United's attackers, except Juan Mata, do not prefer playing on the right-wing

Conclusion: Manchester United have a huge void on the right side of their attack which urgently needs to be filled.

#2 The feud between Anthony Martial and Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho and Anthony Martial no longer see eye to eye at United

Jose Mourinho exhorted Martial in the previous season to listen to his coach rather than his agent. He tried encouragement, cajolement and criticism at various points of the season with the precocious Frenchman.

But nothing seemed to work.

Martial made a bright start to the 2017-18 season and looked very happy to be at United. He thrived while competing with Marcus Rashford for a position on the left side of United’s attack.

Then came January, and United signed Alexis Sanchez. Martial sulked his way through the end of the season and lost his place in the French national team as well. He then had another run-in with Mourinho during United’s summer tour, which brought their relationship to a breaking point.

Conclusion: Anthony Martial desperately wants to leave Manchester United and Jose Mourinho whole-heartedly agrees.

#3 The dread of Ed at United

Having made him the most expensive teenager in 2015, Woodward does not want to sell Martial

Martial is just 22 years old. He was signed by United at the age of 19. At that time he was the most expensive teenager in football.

He was meant to go on to great things; some even heralded him as the successor to Cristiano Ronaldo.

The rumor mill suggests that Woodward is afraid of Martial succeeding and such a decision coming back to bite United. The club’s hierarchy also does want to exchange Martial, a 22-year-old with significant resale value, with 30-year-olds such as Perisic and Willian, who are preferred by Mourinho.

Conclusion: The business heads at United believe that replacing Martial with someone much older is a bad business deal.

#4 Borussia Dortmund’s dilemma

To cash in or not to cash in: Dortmund are hesitant in letting Pulisic leave without a replacement

Earlier in the transfer window, reports emerged that Borussia Dortmund wanted to cash in on their 19-year-old American starlet Christian Pulisic, and had slapped a price tag of 65 million euros for a transfer.

We then had reports about Pulisic being made unavailable for a transfer as the German club were hesitant to let him go without signing a replacement.

Conclusion: Dortmund seem to be okay in letting Christian Pulisic go as long as they can sign a replacement.

#5 Pulisic plays on the right wing and is a boyhood United fan

Pulisic is a childhood United fan.

One of the primary gripes of Jose Mourinho at Manchester United has been the lack of the warrior-spirit from his players. He criticised Jones and Smalling last season for being over-cautious with injuries.

Standing at 5 feet 8 inches, Pulisic does not qualify as a warrior in the traditional sense, but he has three key parameters on his side: 1. he plays on the right-wing for Dortmund, 2. he is a boyhood United fan, and 3. he works extremely hard on the pitch.

These three parameters can potentially make him a wonderful signing for United.

Conclusion: Christian Pulisic, on paper, would be a perfect signing for Manchester United.

Putting it all together

Jose can fill a huge gap in United's 11 by doing a deal with Dortmund for P

If we put all the aforementioned reasons together, a swap between Christian Pulisic and Anthony Martial sounds like the perfect solution for all parties involved.

Anthony Martial will be happy to end his perceived nightmare under Mourinho’s management.

Mourinho will be happy to get rid of a player he supposedly regards as mentally weak, and replace him with a hard-working player - while also filling his problem position on the right wing.

Dortmund will get one of the most stylish flair players in Europe and Christian Pulisic will join his boyhood club.

Ed Woodward will be replacing a young 22-year-old Frenchman with resale value with an even younger 19-year-old American with an even higher resale value.

Christian Pulisic in a swap deal for Anthony Martial - it is a transfer move made in heaven. All it needs is for the power-brokers at Dortmund and United to realize that such a deal is possible, and to get on the negotiating table.