From his resounding debut against Liverpool in 2015, to his exit under the whistles and jeers of Old Trafford three weeks ago against Bournemouth (0-3), Anthony Martial was able to realize the ruthless world that is football. The darling of the theater of dreams, capable of illuminating an encounter with a stroke of genius, the native of Massy has become an outcast in the eyes of his audience. But after eight years of service, his future now seems to be taking shape quite far from Manchester. Since his 2019/2020 season during the COVID period – the most prolific of his career (17 goals in 32 Premier League matches) – Martial has seen his credit run out, failing to find any form of continuity in his performances. There have been some nice parentheses, like his goal against Manchester City in 2021 (2-0) or his vain double against these same Citizens last year (6-3), but at the end of the day account, the disillusionments supplant the rest for an oh-so-talented, but irregular player.
If he has long retained the favor of his coach Erik ten Hag, who has constantly shown his confidence in him despite strong performances in recent months, the former Monaco player has only taken part in 619 minutes of play this season (2 goals). Weakened by the fluctuating results of his team, the Dutch coach today prefers to rely on elements of the future, like Rasmus Hojlund (20 years old), recruited this summer for 75 million euros and author his first goal in the Premier League this Tuesday against Aston Villa (3-2). Moreover, since the Dane’s applauded debut against Bournemouth at the beginning of December, Martial has never again been part of the Mancunian group. Absent for reasons that are still quite unclear, did the Frenchman play his last minutes with the Red Devils? The opening of the transfer window on January 1 should give us some answers.
Martial remains popular on the market
Present at a press briefing this Tuesday, Erik ten Hag gave news on the unavailability of his player: “ Martial return? He is still in pain. If there is a chance it will be sold in January? When we have news, of course, I will say so. But that’s not our goal», Said the former Ajax coach. Considering the price of his transfer in 2015 (more than €70 million), not selling Martial this winter could amount to a big loss of earnings given that his contract will expire in June (his price is estimated at €15 million). by the specialized site Transfermarkt). Info or intox ? In any case, the rumors are more in the direction of a departure in January for the Golden Boy 2015, despite the reassuring words of ETH. With the recent arrival of INEOS at the head of Manchester United, the Daily Mail reported a desire to part ways with several flops, starting with the 28-year-old striker as well as Jadon Sancho. The tabloid also added that the Mancunian football director, John Murtough, had already gone to Saudi Arabia to negotiate the departure of the Frenchman.
On the other hand, the Turkish daily Fotomac recently reported Fenerbahçe’s interest in Martial, keen to relaunch six months before the Euro (he has not been called up since October 2021) . But in recent hours, another track continues to gain momentum: that leading to Inter Milan. As indicated by the Gazzetta dello Sport this week, the finalist of the last Champions League would be excited at the idea of signing a new French international, after Benjamin Pavard and Marcus Thuram this summer. In any case, “the next Thierry Henry” (“the heir of Thierry Henry” as the British press nicknamed him) will be spoiled for choice to give new impetus to his stormy career.
