Confirmed: Inter Milan have bid for Manchester United striker

What's the story?

Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has been the subject of an enquiry from Inter Milan, according to the player's cousin himself. The Nerazzurri want to bring in Martial to rotate with the injury-prone and volatile Mauro Icardi, but the player is focussed on his Old Trafford career, according to Jamael Martial, the striker's cousin, who made the announcement on Twitter.

Je confirme l'intérêt de l'Inter pour Antho. Mais sa tête est à Manchester et il est concentré pour faire une bonne préparation.

— JM22 (@JemaMtl_22) July 18, 2017

In case you didn't know...

Martial became the most expensive teenager in the world when Manchester United parted with £36 million (in a deal that could rise up to £58 million) to lure the Frenchman away from AS Monaco. After an impressive debut season, when Martial scored 17 times for the Red Devils, he has fallen by the wayside ever since Jose Mourinho took over, only scoring 8 times last season.

The heart of the matter

Manchester United might be tempted into letting Anthony Martial go is a sufficiently large enough offer comes from Inter Milan, according to reports in Italy. Jose Mourinho views the player as expendable, with Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford set to be the players in which he places the most faith this season.

Jamael Martial, Anthony Martial's cousin, is a journalist himself, and confirmed Inter's interest, saying "I confirm the interest of Inter for Anthony." However, he went on to say that Martial personally is not keen on a move, saying "But his head is in Manchester and he is focused on preparing well for the coming season."

Inter Milan have been made nervous by AC Milan's impressive spending in this transfer window, and are hoping to bring in a major name so as to calm their fans. Tempting Manchester United into selling Martial will require a big offer, and Inter can expect to pay in the region of £40 million.

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Author's Take

Anthony Martial ought to really be considering an offer from Inter Milan - the likelihood of the Frenchman featuring in a regular starting role under Jose Mourinho seems remote, especially since the Portuguese tactician will favour playing Romelu Lukaku in the #9 position. The Frenchman's been usually played on the wings under Mourinho, but may lose out further as Rashford may be preferred in that position. Inter would offer Martial regular playing time in a World Cup year, which is where his focus ought to be.