5 . Anthony Martial (from Monaco to Manchester United 2015/2016) – €50 million
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Manchester United feature heavily on this list, as they’ve broken the British transfer record more than any other club to keep their position as the record title-holders in England. However, Ed Woodward and his transfer dealings have come under serious fire at times, especially during the painful Moyes and dreary Van Gaal eras. With several high-profile targets like Toni Kroos & Sergio Ramos being chased all summer before sealing moves to other clubs or new contracts, they’ve not been so great, to be honest.
So when rumours of Anthony Martial (who?) signing on from Monaco began to abound, it seemed like another strange transfer. Why pay for another youngster when so many young players were in the Red Devil’s academy? Where were the Ibrahimovics, the Lewandowskis, and Mullers? By the way, was he being signed for the first team or the under-19s?
Imagine the laughter from Liverpool and other rival fans when an amazing €61million transfer was rumoured to be agreed! When it was officially announced, it turned out to be less than that – but still an eye-watering sum! He became the planet’s most expensive teenager, and also the 5th priciest player to go to England. His previous stats? Just 15 goals in 68 appearances, but Van Gaal and Woodward knew why they’d purchased him.
The media almost immediately labelled him a flop, to the giggles of millions of rival fans. The man with the stony face stayed that way, even as he made the bench for Manchester United’s match away at Anfield.
Then, on the 65th minute Louis Van Gaal, threw him on, with Manchester United leading 2-1 in a difficult encounter. On came the overpriced, overrated teenage ‘flop’ as Van Gaal used the summer’s millions in the biggest clash in England. A few enticing runs apart, nothing could be seen of United’s expensive acquisition. Then, the moment came.
With Liverpool chasing the game hard, United gathered the ball and countered. Suddenly, Martial got the ball, with the visiting crowd spurring him on. He needed nothing else. With the same stony faces as a quiet assassin, Martial picked the ball up 20-odd yards from goal.
He sprinted away and with a slaloming run, put the ball past veteran defender Martin Skrtel’s legs and bore down on Mignolet’s goal. Without so much as a breath, he stole away and slotted the ball home, wheeling away in a frenzied celebration.
The critics bit their tongues in grudging respect as his composure and fearsome skill on the ball immediately drew comparisons to Arsenal’s Thierry Henry. By the end of the season, he had scored 17 goals and made more than 10 assists, becoming United’s most dangerous player as he combined speed, dribbles, and intelligence to mark a devastating debut season in the Premier League.
Despite his tender years and constant fielding out wide, Anthony Martial had just shown the world why he had cost so much despite doing so little in the game. With every dribble and every clever pass, his status grew as fast as his doubters shrunk. The teenage ‘flop’ had just shown everyone who doubted (or didn’t know him, like teammate and captain Wayne Rooney) why he’d been so highly-coveted by Manchester United.
