Paul Merson’s business sense called into question after Anthony Martial comments

Call us crazy but we'd be quietly confident in saying that Paul Merson would never have cut it as the financial director of a football club.

The Sky Sports pundit, so often the source of comic relief during Gillette Soccer Saturday, has been torn asunder on social media for his bizarre valuation of Anthony Martial. Prior to the 3 o'clock kick-offs on Monday, Merson was discussing what West Ham should do with Dimitri Payet and seemed to do very little in the way of research in relation to the figures. Merse suggested that wantaway Payet should be sold for £30 million... OK. Not all that crazy a fee for a talented midfielder who has shone in the Premier League since moving to Upton Park in 2015. But eyebrows were raised when the former Arsenal and Aston Villa man claimed that the Hammers then ought to pursue Payet's international teammate Martial... and sign him up for £20 million. What a deal that would be! However, unfortunately for Merse, he gave very little thought to the fact that Manchester United spent £36 million on Martial at the start of last season, with the fee potentially rising as high as £58 million. https://twitter.com/ForzaMundial/status/815943510281113601 It would be a bizarre move for the Red Devils then to take such an absurd loss on a player with such promise and ability, regardless of the fact that he's not been in the first team every single week. When pressed on his claim, Merson hit back by insisting that he'd heard some club was in the market for the young French forward. But he was quickly informed that the club in question was Sevilla and that they were looking to capture Martial on loan, a fact that quite simply exasperated Merson. He was suitably trolled because, you know, football. https://twitter.com/Mufc1Scott/status/815919082461679616 https://twitter.com/JoelSearson/status/815919099024998400 https://twitter.com/darrensmith2k12/status/815919297436454912 https://twitter.com/RKotecha84/status/815919439346626560 https://twitter.com/ProudieYT/status/815919587447410688 https://twitter.com/CoolSince1986/status/815919768469405698 https://twitter.com/NathaanMason/status/815922490971131904 https://twitter.com/NathanJStaples/status/815924032524681216 https://twitter.com/gretton123/status/815925268510625792 https://twitter.com/JaabirPatel18/status/815925660573175808 https://twitter.com/_JordanStreet/status/815928211657912320 https://twitter.com/MLAW29/status/815929904042823680