Bacary Sagna Fan CLub

Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Paul Scholes has revealed his delight after the Red Devils secured the services of Anthony Martial on a long-term basis. The France international endured a difficult spell under Jose Mourinho where he has in-and-out of the starting lineup and there was a time where he was reluctant to extend his contract.

However, that situation has changed with the dismissal of the Portuguese and the Frenchman has now eventually signed a fresh five-year contract with the club with the option of a further 12 months. Speaking on BBC Five Live, Scholes has praised his former side for getting the deal done with the Frenchman, who had previously been eyeing a potential move elsewhere.

Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Paul Scholes has revealed his delight after the Red Devils secured the services of Anthony Martial on a long-term basis. The France international endured a difficult spell under Jose Mourinho where he has in-and-out of the starting lineup and there was a time where he was reluctant to extend his contract.

However, that situation has changed with the dismissal of the Portuguese and the Frenchman has now eventually signed a fresh five-year contract with the club with the option of a further 12 months. Speaking on BBC Five Live, Scholes has praised his former side for getting the deal done with the Frenchman, who had previously been eyeing a potential move elsewhere.

He said: “It’s brilliant, he was another player who struggled under previous. We all knew his qualities, I remember talking to (Dimitar) Berbatov who played at Monaco with him and he was raving. You need a run of games to express yourself and now he’s getting that, he can beat a man, score goals, bring excitement for the fans and that’s the most important thing. It’s a great signing.”

“Martial had previously been reluctant to prolong his deal beyond the summer of 2020“and this spread the speculation that he could pursue another club with Inter Milan among the probable candidates. His fortunes, however, initially changed towards the end of Mourinho’s reign where he was finding his old form and the same has continued under Ole, though “he has recently dropped“ to the bench after recovering from a minor niggle.

Meanwhile, United have been on an upward trend over the past 45 days with Ole guiding the club to eight wins from the past nine matches. This has brought them right within the Champions League positions with just two points separating them from fourth-placed Chelsea at the moment.

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has confirmed the signing of Benjamin Pavard from fellow Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart. The France international is scheduled to join the Bavarian giants at the end of the season after penning a five-year contract with the reigning German champions.

Speaking to reporters, Salihamidzic confirmed the signing for the highly-rated defender saying: “We’ve signed Benjamin Pavard for 1 July 2019. He’s put pen to paper on a five-year contract. He’s a young player and a world champion. We’re very glad and proud to have gained such a player for FC Bayern.”

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has confirmed the signing of Benjamin Pavard from fellow Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart. The France international is scheduled to join the Bavarian giants at the end of the season after penning a five-year contract with the reigning German champions.

Speaking to reporters, Salihamidzic confirmed the signing for the highly-rated defender saying: “We’ve signed Benjamin Pavard for 1 July 2019. He’s put pen to paper on a five-year contract. He’s a young player and a world champion. We’re very glad and proud to have gained such a player for FC Bayern.”

Pavard was largely unknown to the football fraternity until his performance at the World Cup with France where he was a regular on the right side of the defence. Initially, his showing was questioned with a more experienced Djibril Sidibe in the ranks but he happened to improve as the tournament went on with his stunning long-range strike against Argentina earning him the best goal of the World Cup accolade.

At Bayern, there has been a swap between Rafinha and Joshua Kimmich for the right-back position but the arrival of Pavard should drop the former to the bench. Meanwhile for the latter, he has featured in the centre of the park on occasions and the hierarchy seem to believe the position would work best for the German for the long-term.

“Bayern have not enjoyed the best of seasons in the Bundesliga with manager Niko Kovac at the helm“ and they are currently playing six points behind Borussia Dortmund at the winter break. Nonetheless, their opponents should have more pressure than them, given “they have not won“ the title since the 2011/12 season and can’t afford multiple slip-ups during the backend of the campaign.

Bayern return from the extended winter break on January 18 where they are scheduled to face Hoffenheim on the road. The reverse fixture witnessed them win by a 3-1 scoreline with Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben netting in the final 10 minutes.