According to reports from The Sunday Times yesterday afternoon, Chelsea attempted to hijack Manchester United’s deal for Monaco star Anthony Martial at the final hour.
The 19 year-old arrived at Old Trafford on summer deadline day for a whopping £36million after netting eleven goals in 49 Ligue 1 appearances for Monaco, making him the most expensive teenager in the world.
And it has since been revealed that United could eventually pay around £58million for the explosive winger-forward, should he qualify for a series of performance-related bonuses including winning the Ballon d’Or.
The initial fee has left Ligue 1 and Premier League fans alike ‘speechless‘ according to French journalist Philippe Auclair.
But according to The Times, Premier League champions Chelsea were by no means surprised. In fact, they attempted to match Manchester United’s offer at the last minute, only to be informed by Monaco that the deal was already set in stone.
It’s been a recurring theme throughout the summer for the Red Devils; they saw the Blues prize Barcelona star Pedro from their clutches in a £22million swoop last month.