Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists he never made a move for new Manchester United signing Anthony Martial this summer – because Monaco told him was not for sale.
France international Martial sealed a £36million move from the Ligue 1 side to Old Trafford on transfer deadline day – which came as a surprise to long-term admirer Wenger, who had tracked the youngster since his days at Lyon.
The Arsenal boss claims he is a long-time admirer of Manchester United’s deadline-day recruit and in fact, tried to lure the 19-year-old to The Emirates last year.
The former Lyon man joined Wenger’s old club Monaco in June 2013 for a fee of around five million euros – a move that also shocked Wenger.
The 19-year-old forward has made a fine start to his United career – netting four goals in his first four games – and could play against the Gunners in the Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
If Wenger had his way, however, Martial could be lining up for the north London side, rather than against them, this weekend.
“I was surprised they sold him,” Wenger told several national newspapers.
“The amount of money was massive. I believe that you could think that, if you are Monaco, you could have sold him as well next season.
“So I thought they would not sell him this year because they sold many other players.
“I thought they would maintain their word. He was not sellable. He was not on the list. He was one of the players Monaco did not want to sell, so we never made an approach for him.
“Only an acceptable amount of money after could do it. We always liked him, even when he was in Lyons.”
“We always liked him, already when he was in Lyon,” Wenger told the Daily Star. “That was also a surprise, that Lyon sold him for five million euros.”
Meanwhile, Manchester Evening News claims that Monaco recieived a bigger offer for the young Frenchman but Martial was desperate to move to Old Trafford.