West Ham United tipped to sign £40m ace from divisional rivals

West Ham have emerged as favourites to sign Anthony Martial from Manchester United in the January transfer window.

According to SkyBet, the Irons lead a number of high-profile rivals in the race to land the forward, who is widely expected to leave Old Trafford in the near future.

Martial has been limited to just two Premier League starts this season, with his agent openly acknowledging his ambition to gain more minutes elsewhere.

Here’s everything you need to know about this latest transfer update...

What are the bookies saying?

According to SkyBet, West Ham are firm favourites to secure Martial’s signature at a price of 5/1.

Their closest competitors are Newcastle United and PSG at 10/1 and 14/1 respectively, with Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, and Real Madrid all priced at 16/1.

Everton are rank outsiders at 25/1.

How likely are West Ham to seal the deal?

First things first, the chances of Martial leaving Manchester United in near future seem relatively high.

Various reports have touted an imminent exit for the Frenchman, with his representative, Philippe Lamboley, openly telling Sky Sports News of his desire to seek a fresh challenge.

The agent said: “Anthony wishes to leave the club in January. He just needs to play. He doesn’t want to stay in January and I will speak to the club soon.”

Whether West Ham can actually lure him to the London Stadium remains to be seen, however.

The Hammers could certainly do with another striker to provide cover an competition for Michail Antonio, but any deal for Martial would likely be a pricey one - especially in a January window.

According to a recent report from Eurosport, Man United value the 26-year-old at around £40 million and his wages come in at roughly £250,000 per week.

No doubt David Moyes would love to see Martial in East London, but whether the funds are are there to make the deal a reality, only time will tell.

What are the fans saying?

@Joeseues tweeted: “I need Martial at West Ham”.

@GSBOUT8 tweeted: “I reckon Moyes would turn Martial into a beast”

@IronsCB tweeted: “Martial would be perfect, imagine that link-up play”

Not everybody is as convinced, however.

@TheFootyCentre_ tweeted: “Definitely wouldn’t take Martial at West Ham. The guy puts in such little effort and is massively overrated in my opinion. He scores in bursts and then cools off, so inconsistent. He doesn’t fit the Moyes profile anyway so hopefully we’ll steer clear.”

@RossIceman tweeted: “I’d take Divock Origi over Martial all day long”.