Chelsea tried to beat Man United to Anthony Martial signing

Chelsea were prepared to match Manchester United’s record-breaking offer for Anthony Martial only to be told the deal had already been concluded, per the Sunday Times.

Martial moved to Old Trafford on deadline day for £36 million (fee via BBC Sport), a record fee paid for a teenager in world football.

The move has been both praised and criticized from a number of pundits but it appears that Premier League champions Chelsea also hold the young Frenchman in high esteem, with the Blues ready to match the huge offer made by the Red Devils for Martial.

However Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich were rebuffed by Monaco, who informed the London club that a deal to take the 19-year-old to United had already been sealed.

Martial scored nine goals in 35 league appearances last season for Monaco in Ligue 1 as the club finished third in the French top division.

Such is the high regard held by United in the youngster that, according to the Sunday Times’ article, should all of his performance related payments be triggered then Martial will rise to become the fourth-highest transfer of all time, barring any other deals that could be concluded in the future.

It remains to be seen how quickly Martial settles into the Premier League but with interest also from Chelsea it appears that Louis van Gaal has got himself a talented forward.