Louis van Gaal has heaped praise on his latest signing at Manchester United, AS Monaco forward Anthony Martial.

The former-Netherlands manager saw Martial, just 19 years old, put pen to paper on a four year deal at Old Trafford, with an option of a one year extension when those four years are up.

Van Gaal labels Martial as 'naturally talented forward' with 'great potential'

Martial scored nine goals in Ligue 1 last season, making him the highest scorer under the age of twenty in Europe in 2014/15.

Van Gaal says that Martial "is a naturally talented" new Manchester United number nine. He continued that he is "multi-functional forward with great potential" indicating that he may not play in the natural striker position, and instead could play on either of the flanks.

United have been scouting Martial for a while, reveals Van Gaal

United "have been watching him for a while" as "he has developed immensely" at both AS Monaco and Olympique Lyon.

Van Gaal says he is "delighted [Martial] has joined Manchester United as this is the right club for him to continue his development as a young player."

The Dutch manager, formerly of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, AZ Alkmaar and Ajax, is full of praise for Martial. "He has all the attributes to become a top football player" but with all the pressure on his shoulders, Van Gaal says everyone needs "to give him time to adjust to his new environment and the rhythm of the Premier League."

Martial takes number 9 at United

Martial has chosen the number nine at Manchester United, after Van Gaal gave him the choice of the available numbers. This time last summer, Radamel Falcao took the number nine at Old Trafford and failed to make the expected impact, Martial will be hoping for different fortunes.

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About the author
Harry Robinson
Deputy Editor-in-Chief at VAVEL UK, and Manchester United Editor.