WGM#38 NOV/DEC 2015

曼 联 的 赌 注 大 获 成 功 United’s gamble paying off
both scoring and creating goals. His man-of-the-match performance
in a 3-0 win over Sunderland not only won universal praise, it also
produced an incredible statistic – only Juan Mata had created as many
clear-cut chances for Manchester United all season as Martial did in
the second half alone!
Manchester United look set to win big on their Martial gamble,
however by paying well above his market value they may have avoided
paying much more had they waited a few years for him considering
the hefty fees for fellow young guns Raheem Sterling and Kevin de
Bruyne. Top players tend to become increasingly expensive once they
reach their early 20s due to the inflation of the football market so in
fact we may one day look back at the Martial deal as a shrewd one.
Super clubs like Manchester United are entitled to gamble on
teenagers and can afford to lose out from time to time if it doesn’t
work out. But they usually get it right. Of the top 10 most expensive
teenagers in history, four of them have been Manchester United
purchases with three seeming success stories. Topping the list is
Martial, who still has a long way to go but is certainly looking the
goods so far. Luke Shaw moved from Southampton for a then record
£31 million in 2014 and although injury has hampered his progress so
far, he has looked every bit a top defender during his time on the park.
Rooney still sits fifth on the list of most expensive teenagers
after moving from Everton in 2004 and will go down as one of the
greats, which leaves only Brazilian midfielder Anderson – a £22 million
purchase from Porto in 2007 – as an experiment that failed to fire.
Anderson played only 10 games for United in his last two seasons and
with injury regularly marring his progress became little more than
a bit-part player before finally departing for Italy in 2014. He joins
the likes of PSG flop Lucas Moura and Barcelona’s Javier Saviola as
teenagers who have failed to match the hype.
But the benefits are huge when a gamble pays off. For starters,
teenagers are usually cheaper than proven players in the market.
Raheem Sterling, for example, has long been regarded a special talent
yet go back two years and he would have attracted a fraction of the
£49 million Manchester City paid Liverpool for his services this season.
Secondly, when a teen prodigy develops into a genuine superstar he
can either become a long-term talisman in the mold of Real Madrid
captain Sergio Ramos or a cash cow when sold for a much higher price
like Sergio Agüero, who was purchased by Atletico Madrid for £17
million and later sold to Manchester City for £35 million. In Martial’s
case, it seems Manchester United may have uncovered a real gem.
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