Van Gaal admits Manchester United could have been forced to pay more for Anthony Martial

Anthony Martial made his France debut after signing for Manchester United

LOUIS VAN GAAL claims Manchester United would have ended up paying a further £10m for French wonderboy Anthony Martial if they had waited another year to buy him from Monaco.

 

United stunned the football world when they paid £36m for 19-year-old striker Martial on transfer deadline day - with another £22m due in add-ons.

Van Gaal admits they paid over the odds but insists Martial has been bought for United’s future and the youngster will need time to adjust to the demands of English football.

He said: “There is a market and a mark price and we cannot have any influence on that price. I said to Ed Woodward [United’s executive vice chairman] that he is the best of his age and we need a striker for the future. We could wait a year and pay another £10m.

 

“I can imagine the fans think ‘£50m, he has to score.’ No, he is 19 and he has to adapt.

“You could see how Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao struggled. The pressure at United is much hugher than at another club, so we mustn’t give him too much pressure.

“But he must adapt to our culture and philosophy and that is difficult enough.”

 

Van Gaal says Martial’s arrival prompted him to loan Adnan Januzaj to Borussia Dortmund while young striker James Wilson is set to join a Championship club on a temporary basis.

He added: “It counts also for Januzaj and Wilson. I told Januzaj he would have opportunities at No 9 and No 10 but we decided it would be better to go for a new environment, to allow him to play more and see how he develops.

“I have said the same to James - only to a Championship club - so I can call him back if I get a striker injured.

“Another season like last season [when they didn’t play much] would not be good for James or Januzaj.”