Man Utd Slap Massive Price Tag on Anthony Martial to Ward Off Interest From Chelsea & Spurs

Anthony Martial may not get his wish of leaving Manchester United after all, after the Red Devils slapped a hefty price tag on the 22-year-old winger.

The Mirror report that the United hierarchy have set their asking price at £75m, while the Sun believe it's closer to £100m. 

Though regardless of the final figure, these high numbers indicate that Man Utd are serious about keeping the French international at Old Trafford - despite recent reports suggesting that Martial declined signing a new contract. To boot, his agent Philippe Lamboley came out earlier this week and confirmed the player wanted to leave Manchester.

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“After reflecting carefully on all the possibilities and all the parameters, Anthony has decided he wants to leave Manchester United," Lamboley said, speaking to RMC Sport. "There are many reasons, for the moment it’s too early to say. Anthony will explain in more detail later on.

“Manchester United wanted to offer Anthony a contract extension and don’t want him to leave, but we haven’t been able to reach an agreement after several months of talks. If Manchester United, the most powerful club in the world, can’t reach an agreement after eight months of negotiations, it means they don’t really consider him to be an important player."

The reasons for Martial's unrest largely stem from his lack of game time under Jose Mourinho, which was amplified once Alexis Sanchez joined in the January transfer window from Arsenal. In total, Martial played 30 league games last season, but his dwindling impact at United meant that he was left out of France's World Cup squad - and that was the final straw for him.

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Martial does have one year with an option for an extension left on his existing contract, but even while they're not looking to sell it now appears United placed a huge sum on the Frenchman's head to scare off interested parties.

Tottenham and Chelsea are rumoured to be interested in the young star, but if they're serious about getting him, they're going to have fork up some serious cash. So far, neither club have submitted a bid for Martial, and United aren't too keen on selling to a direct rival in the Premier League. 

Furthermore, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is an infamous negotiator who would be unlikely to meet United's asking price - though may strike a deal that involves a player swap, considering United's interest in Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld.

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Chelsea are still mired in rumours regarding the future of current manager Antonio Conte. A bid from the Blues may only come once the club knows who'll be at the helm for the start of next season.

Were that to happen and Chelsea - or whoever else - meet the asking price, Man Utd would make a hefty profit on the £58m they paid to get him from Monaco three years ago - a scenario which would appease all parties. 

However, United firmly believe they hold all the cards right now, so Martial may need to force his hand to make something happen this summer.