Exclusive: Spanish football expert reacts to Anthony Martial deal, whether Sevilla can afford him permanently
Manchester United made the decision this week to loan Anthony Martial to Sevilla until the end of the season after six up and down years at Old Trafford.
We wanted to get the perspective on how the move is being viewed in Spain and one man who knows a lot about that is Spanish football expert Alan Feehely.
Feehely is the editor of Football Espana and we asked him a few questions to get his opinion on Martial’s move to Spain.
Do Sevilla have the funds to buy Martial permanently in the summer?
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“That depends on what they do this season. If they win La Liga and, potentially, the Europa League, they will. Also, if they sell either (or both) of Diego Carlos and Jules Kounde, they will.”
Will Martial play every week for Sevilla?
“Yeah, he’ll be leading the line.
“He’s better than Rafa Mir and Youssef En-Nesyri has been struggling with injury and away at the African Cup of Nations. Even when he returns, I think Martial will be the man man.”
Is he what Sevilla need?
“He’s definitely what Sevilla need. They’re a capable and competent team with the best defence in La Liga, but their Achilles heel is their ability to pose danger in the final third.
“Martial will bring an element of unpredictability that’s not been there since Ever Banega left the club.”
Can Martial make the difference in the La Liga title race?
“He can definitely make the difference, for the reasons I just mentioned.
“It also shows that Monchi is throwing the dice a bit by refusing to sell Carlos and spending significant funds on a player who’s only on loan.
“They’re going for it and will hope Martial can be a game-changer.”
What has been the reaction to the signing in the Spanish press? Is this a coup for Sevilla?
“The Spanish press has been very excited about the signing, and there’s definitely the feeling that it’s a coup.
“But there is a slight question mark on his goalscoring record. The general hope is that he’ll be revitalised by the move and will click into gear.”
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