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Paul Merson: 'I feel for Anthony Martial as £36m price puts him under pressure'

Paul Merson says that he feels for Manchester United's new signing Anthony Martial as he believes that the 19-year-old will feel under pressure due to his £36m price tag.

Former Arsenal player Paul Merson has claimed that it is a "big ask" for teenager Anthony Martial to make an instant impact at Old Trafford following his £36m transfer to Manchester United.

The 19-year-old, who has signed a four-year deal, made a surprise move from Monaco to England on transfer deadline day.

United were linked with numerous big-name stars, including Neymar, Thomas Muller and Gareth Bale, and Merson believes that Louis van Gaal's side will struggle without a "top-drawer" forward.

"I feel for Anthony Martial," Merson wrote for Sky Sports. "He was playing for 5,000 people at Monaco on top of a car park and now he is going to be playing in front of 70,000 at Old Trafford - that's a big ask for the lad.

"They have let a lot of strikers go and I think they will be left short after not getting a top-drawer centre-forward in."

United sold strikers Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez during the transfer window.

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Monaco's French forward Anthony Martial celebrates after scoring a penalty during the French L1 football match between Monaco and Toulouse on May 3, 2015
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