
Bengaluru, May 2: Chelsea have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Manchester United outcast Anthony Martial who has opted for a move away from Old Trafford in the summer.
The French international winger is looking to leave Old Trafford this summer after struggling under Jose Mourinho. The 22-year-old is wanted by a number of clubs in the Premier League and across Europe, including Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
And Chelsea chiefs are believed to have made contact to snap up the French forward when the window opens. However, the Blues will have to offload some stars to be able to afford the Frenchman, who cost United an initial £36million with a potential final bill of £61m, according to reports in England.
Even though Chelsea are unlikely to continue with Antonio Conte next season, the club are still looking for potential transfers and Martial seems to be one of their primary targets.
Martial has been in-and-out of Mourinho's starting line-up during the campaign even though he has hardly failed to impress in front of the goal.
It is thought that he is fed-up with Mourinho and will be looking to quit United for a fresh start elsewhere. He has scored 11 goals and produced 10 assists in all competitions this season which is a good figure for a winger. However, Mourinho is reportedly unhappy with his lack of defensive duty.
Modern day wingers need to track back to help out their fellow defenders and Martial is not exactly that kind of a winger. When he moved to Manchester United, he was more of a number nine with bags of pace and brilliant technique but gradually Mourinho made him a wide attacker.
Martial's situation at Manchester United became more complex with the summer signing of Alexis Sanchez. To make room for the Chilean, it was Martial who had to make the sacrifice when he was in good form and that has irritated the Frenchman.
Chelsea's local rivals Arsenal, however, have a long-standing interest in Martial since his Monaco days and even though Wenger is leaving the club, the Gunners could make a lucrative offer for the French wizard.