Arsene Wenger: £58m for Anthony Martial sums it up... that's why I didn't spend big

ARSENE WENGER has been left shocked by Manchester United's mega-money move for Monaco striker Anthony Martial.

Anthony Martial - Spotlight on

United shelled out £36million - which could rise to £58m - to land the Frenchman and make him the most expensive teenager in history.

Express Sport understands United paid over the odds to sign the 19-year-old to beat off competition from the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Arsenal have also been linked with Martial and while Wenger is a fan of his compatriot, he used the staggering price tag to defend his own transfer policy after spending just £10m on Petr Cech this summer.

"What happened last night with Monaco, who sold Martial to Manchester United for £58m, I’ve heard," Wenger said.

Arsene WengerGETTY

Arsene Wenger is a fan of Anthony Martial but believes he is pricey at £58m

"Martial scored 11 goals in the French championship - that sums it up well. That means it's not the money that’s missing at the moment, it's not the desire of investment that is missing, it's the number of players available who can strengthen the big clubs.

"So am I happy with the investment I make? Yes, every time. I bought Sanchez, I bought Ozil, I bought Cech, I bought Gabriel last year."

Wenger wanted a top-class striker this summer and targeted Real Madrid's Karim Benzema and PSG's Edinson Cavani.

Neither deal materialised in the end and the Frenchman is adamant it is only worth going into the transfer market to truly strengthen your squad.

"The problem at the moment is finding the players that guarantees you are a better team after, and that example last night shows you very well," Wenger told Qatari TV channel beIn Sports.

"Martial is a huge talent - he's 19 years old. The investment is absolutely huge as well. It shows you that there's not many players in the world who can strengthen these teams."

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