Report: Martial equalizer vs. Newcastle cost Manchester United £8.7M

Anthony Martial's goal against Newcastle United could be crucial in Manchester United's season and Jose Mourinho's future, but it came at a high price.

The Frenchman's drilled near-post effort to tie Saturday's game at 2-2 and spark an eventual 3-2 win was his 25th strike in his 91st Premier League appearance.

By hitting that mark, the 22-year-old triggered a clause in the terms of his 2015 transfer from AS Monaco which, according to the Telegraph's James Ducker, entitles the French side to an extra €10 million (£8.7 million).

The Red Devils paid a reported £36 million to sign the then-teenager from the principality club in September 2015, but that fee was always expected to rise in accordance with certain conditions being met. One of those was the achievement of 25 league goals.

Ducker reports the other incentives in the deal, each worth the same £8.7-million sum, were dependent on Martial playing 25 times for France and being nominated for the Ballon d'Or before the end of the 2018-19 season. The Ballon d'Or ship has sailed, while Martial needs seven Les Bleus caps in the next seven months to hit 25.

Monaco will likely be relieved just to have received one of those payments. Before Saturday, Martial, whose selection has been a repeated point of contention for Mourinho, had not scored in his last 12 league appearances dating back to Jan. 20.

Ducker adds that a sell-on clause held by Monaco from the 2015 deal expired at the end of last season, leaving United clear to pocket 100 percent of any profits made by selling the forward.