Anthony Martial latest: Man Utd ‘block’ Chelsea, Bayern swap

DAILY MAIL: Chris Wheeler states that, while Mourinho seemed to suggest Martial will not fulfil his desire to leave, the Portuguese ‘has no wish to keep an unhappy player’. He ‘will urge’ the club to sell the Frenchman in enough time to sign a replacement before the transfer deadline on August 9.

Tottenham, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are all interested in Martial, but United ‘would rather not sell to a Premier League rival’. They will activate the automatic one-year extension in his contract to strengthen their negotiating position, the player having ‘grown frustrated with his lack of first-team opportunities’.

United ‘would demand around £80million’. Ivan Perisic’s World Cup performances ‘will only encourage Mourinho to try again’ to sign him from Inter Milan as a replacement.

DAILY MIRROR: David McDonnell says Mourinho ‘knows there is no value in keeping a disaffected player’, even though United’s higher-ups are reluctant to sell Martial. He has told Ed Woodward it will be ‘impossible’ to keep him.

Martial wants to depart because he blames his France omission on ‘a lack of game-time’ at club level. ‘He wants to kick-start his career’ elsewhere.

United ‘will hold out for around £60m for him’. So not £80m

THE TIMES: Paul Hirst claims Mourinho ‘will block Chelsea’s attempt to sign’ Martial as a result of his reluctance to sell to a Premier League side. But his poor performances in pre-season have ‘further convinced’ the manager to sanction a sale to a European team.

Mourinho believes Martial ‘does not have what it takes to become a consistent performer for the club’. The player, for his part ‘has privately conceded that he is unable to win over his manager’.

Bayern ‘seem to be the most likely’ suitor. They could struggle to meet United’s £60m valuation however, so ‘may try to offer’ Arturo Vidal or Jerome Boateng.

DAILY TELEGRAPH: Luke Edwards says Mourinho ‘will not fight’ to keep an unhappy player, but Martial ‘will have to tell him that he wants to leave’. Because his agent literally stating that last month is not enough.

Mourinho clearly received those messages from Philippe Lamboley, because he and United’s board have ‘been alarmed by briefings from the player’s representatives’ that he is seeking an exit. There is ‘resistance’ at ‘boardroom level’, but Mourinho is likely to win that battle again.

It is stressed that Martial will have to ‘inform’ his manager ‘face-to-face’ of his intentions, like a father looking to knock his prospective son-in-law down a few pegs. If and when he does, United ‘would prefer to sell him to a club in Europe so that he does not strengthen a domestic rival’.

That will disappoint Tottenham, who ‘have been led to believe that Martial wants to join them’. They were waiting until the deadline as well.

The bidding for Martial is ‘likely to start at £55m’. So not £80m or £60m.

THE GUARDIAN: Jamie Jackson repeats the line that Mourinho is eager to sell an unhappy player, but only ‘for the right price’, and not to a direct rival. The Portuguese ‘has shifted his stance,’ conceding that a sale ‘should at least be explored’.

Martial has ‘become disillusioned’ at Old Trafford, and initial offers for his services ‘would start at £50m’. So not £80m, £60m or £55m.

THE SUN: Neil Custis, the absolute man-child that he is, says Mourinho is ‘fed up’ with ‘whinging’ Martial. How dare this footballer want to play more football?

Mourinho ‘has grown sick’ of the Frenchman and his agent publicly discussing the player’s future, and ‘is ready to let the player go’ after an ‘awful’ pre-season display against San Jose Earthquakes.

Borussia Dortmund are thrown into the mix for a laugh. But ‘any potential suitors will have to pay at least £50m’. So, again, not £80m, £60m or £55m.

ESPNFC: Rob Dawson says Mourinho and Woodward ‘are set for talks’ to try and find a resolution, as ‘there are concerns among club chiefs that it could come back to haunt them’. They are panicking over another Kevin de Bruyne/Romelu Lukaku/Mohamed Salah situation, basically.

Mourinho ‘sees Martial’s disquiet’ as a chance to sign another winger. Perisic and Willian of Chelsea are mentioned.