Manchester United analysis: Five clubs that could rescue Martial
By Josh McSwain
3. Barcelona
Recently rumors have been floating around about Martial going the La Liga giant in a trade for Ivan Rakitic. This could be fine for both sides but there is a part of me that doubts it. Some things that make the deal look possible are the fact that Rakitic is 29 and Jose Mourinho prefers experienced players, Barcelona will be looking for a new star now with Lionel Messi getting older (but still playing at an incredibly high level) as well as looking for a new playmaker to help fill the void that Neymar left.
Last year Barca used the 4-3-3 the most often with Neymar lining up on the left side, where Martial has lined up this year for United. While that should be a concern, if he’s playing as a forward I get the feeling that he is better off there than an attacking left mid. Moreover, Rakitic is a skilled distributor so he could compete with Henrikh Mkhitaryan for playing time at the ten position. So it seems like the fit on the field could be alright for both teams.
Barcelona also has interest in United midfielder Ander Herrera, so there seems like a deal could be made. It would just be a matter of nailing down the specifics. Both of these clubs have deep pockets so the resources wouldn’t be the issue, it would just be a matter of agreeing on a price. Barca may not take the deal unless Herrera is involved. It would be an interesting deal should it happen.