Man Utd flop’s former club emerge in ‘two-horse transfer race’ with player ‘offered chance’ to ‘return’
According to reports, Manchester United flop Anthony Martial will be ‘offered the chance to return home’ during the upcoming summer transfer window.
The Red Devils paid an initial fee of around £36m to sign Martial from Ligue Un outfit AS Monaco during the 2015 summer transfer window.
Martial enjoyed a strong debut season but he was unable to kick on and he’s spent a lot of time on the sidelines over the past four seasons.
After having an unsuccessful loan spell in La Liga with Sevilla in 2021/22, Martial was afforded a fresh start at Man Utd under Erik ten Hag but he has just one goal in his 13 Premier League outings this season.
Martial will be out of action until April after undergoing groin surgery and he may leave in the summer. His contract is due to expire at the end of this season and while Man Utd have an option to automatically extend his deal on the same terms until 2025, they are unlikely to do so.
A report from The Sun claims a couple of Ligue Un teams are in a ‘two-horse transfer race’ for Martial. The report explains.
‘Anthony Martial is set to be offered the chance to return home to France when his Manchester United contract expires this summer.
‘Former club Monaco and Marseille are among those showing interest in the 28-year-old forward, currently out injured.
‘United do not plan to take up a 12-month option to extend his deal. That means that Martial will be a free agent come the summer — while United will release some much-needed space on their wage bill.’
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Without Martial, Rasmus Hojlund has hit his stride as he has scored in five consecutive Premier League matches.
Former Arsenal player Paul Merson thinks Hojlund is capable of “being a superstar”.
“I like him. He’s a young kid, he’s 21 and playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“If there was one thing you could bottle up in football, you ask anyone, it’s confidence.
“He’s got confidence now and football is all about confidence. He holds the ball up well and lays it off well to the wingers.
“You start to get into the game a lot more and the confidence rises. Those chances keep coming and you start to take them.
“In those first 10 games, when he was going without a goal, he was snatching at everything. And he’s got it.
“If that ball [for Hojlund’s opening goal] at Villa comes in at the start of the season, he would’ve hit it as hard as he could. But he places it under the goalkeeper.
“He’s a good player, I think he will be a superstar.”
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