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Anthony Martial a 'massive gamble' for Man United, says Thierry Henry

Manchester United striker Anthony Martial is "massive gamble" for Louis van Gaal, according to Sky Sports pundit Thierry Henry.

Martial, 19, completed his £36 million move to Old Trafford late on deadline day on a four-year deal to become the most expensive teenager of all time.

Despite being dubbed "the next Henry" by some pundits, the real Henry wasn't as positive about his chances.

"[Martial] has pace, can he score a lot of goals?" he said. "I actually don't know because he's only played 52 games. It's a weird one for me to say. It's a massive gamble that you need to take nowadays because of the situation Man United have."

Martial notched nine goals and three assists in 35 games for Monaco but now becomes the leading backup to Wayne Rooney up front for Man United, a pressure that Henry reflected on in his remarks.

"We saw him at the Emirates last season playing with Monaco and causing trouble to the Arsenal defence, he has a bright future," he added. "But there's always a question mark, whether he can perform.

"[Martial] played at the weekend against Paris Saint-Germain and he can play in the middle. Is it going to take him a bit of time to adjust and understand what the job requires? Yes, because he only played 52 professional games. It [the fee] is mind-blowing."

Man United's move for the young French forward took the club's spending to over £250 million with Van Gaal as manager and while Henry is skeptical about the immediate impact Martial can have, the former Arsenal legend remained somewhat optimistic.

"You have a lot of boxes that you can't tick with him because I repeat he has only played 52 games," he said. "You are not the same player you are after 100 or 150 games from the 50 that you start with -- especially as a centre-forward.

"You need games, experience and time out there to perform. I wish him all the best and think he can do well."