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

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.