Summary West Ham are looking to replace Michail Antonio if he leaves the London Stadium. Anthony Martial has arisen as one option for the Hammers. But will David Moyes sign him on loan or permanently?
West Ham United are still very active in the transfer market as they attempt to strengthen their squad before the window closes and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.
Who is Anthony Martial signing for?
According to talkSPORT's transfer expert Alex Crook, West Ham are now interested in signing Manchester United striker Anthony Martial.
As per a report written for the broadcaster, Crook claimed that after submitting offers for both Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire, the Hammers are now looking to steal away a third Red Devils mainstay with Martial named as a target.
Crook notes that talks are in the early stages and Erik ten Hag may not be particularly keen on parting ways with the goal-scorer, due to a shortage of out-and-out number nines at Old Trafford.
United fear they are unlikely to get a big fee for the forward, as West Ham monitor the French forward's situation in the northwest.
How many goals has Anthony Martial scored?
There is no doubt that David Moyes and the West Ham hierarchy desperately need to step up their pursuit of their transfer targets with only a few weeks remaining to secure much-needed new additions in key positions.
Indeed, Declan Rice's £105m move to Arsenal is the most high-profile departure for the Irons, but they have also lost Manuel Lanzini and Gianluca Scamacca, whilst Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio's futures hang in the balance with both players keen for a move away.
As a result, the signing of Martial could be a great piece of business for Moyes as he looks to improve and bolster the attacking threat for the east Londoners, with the Man United striker a worthy heir to Antonio should he leave this summer.
The Frenchman has been a regular for the Red Devils over his long-standing tenure, scoring 88 goals and registering 53 assists over 298 appearances with a goal contribution delivered every 135 minutes played – an output that would be a major asset for West Ham this season.
When comparing Martial's output with Antonio's last season, the 27-year-old comfortably outperformed the West Ham all-time top-scorer in a number of key attributes including shots on target rate (46.2% v 33.3%), pass completion (80.2% v 53.4%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.58 v 1.92), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.46 v 0.44) and successful take-ons (53.8% v 40%), as per FBref.
The £250k-per-week ace has been the recipient of high praise over his career so far, with Man United legend Paul Scholes hailing Martial for his talent last term:
"Every United fan knows he has real talent. But we just need to see it more often.
"The lad’s got real ability. He’s been quiet for 18 months, we’re not sure what happened to him, injuries, confidence, but the lad has got ability, we need to see more of it. He can score a lot of goals."
Now that young goal machine Rasmus Hojlund has joined the Manchester giants, it could mean that Martial will struggle for game-time this season under Ten Hag, so a move to West Ham presents an attractive opportunity to earn first-team football consistently.
With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for West Ham to secure a deal for Martial this summer, as he could certainly ease the blow of losing Scamacca and offer Moyes a potential replacement for Antonio.
