Man Utd: Agent responds to Ten Hag ‘banishment’ claims amid ‘raised eyebrows’; gives blunt transfer verdict

The agent of Manchester United star Anthony Martial has responded to reports suggesting he has been made to train on his own because ‘he’s not fit enough’.

Martial is out of contract at the end of this season and he is expected to leave Man Utd in the summer as he has slipped behind Rasmus Hojlund in the pecking order under Erik ten Hag.

The Man Utd attacker has been seriously hampered by injuries in recent years as he has been unable to live up to expectations at Old Trafford despite him having a lot of natural talent.

Martial has been restricted to just 13 Premier League appearances this season and he has not played for Man Utd since the start of December due to illness.

A report from The Daily Mail has claimed Martial is ‘not fit enough to work with the first-team group at present given the intensity and work rate the manager demands from his players in training’. While this is ‘standard practice’ at Man Utd, it’s claimed ‘the length of time it is taking Martial to regain fitness has raised eyebrows’.

In response to this story, Gabby Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT: “It’s probably because Martial doesn’t want to leave. Maybe a chance to leave has been offered and he hasn’t so he’s [Ten Hag] banished him like he did to Jadon Sancho.

“Should Martial still be at Manchester United? No, he shouldn’t. He doesn’t put enough effort in but don’t put him on his own. I don’t like the training on your own though. I don’t like that.

“If it was a normal player, you train with the team and do extra with a fitness coach after training. He’s obviously been banished for a reason and Ten Hag’s done it again.”

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Martial’s agent – Phillipe Lamboley – has labelled these reports “completely false” as the attacker has been absent from first-team training as he is injured and has “no problem” with Ten Hag.

“What is said about him is completely false,” Lamboley told Sky Sports. “He was not excluded from the group and he has no problem with the coach [Erik ten Hag].

“Anthony has been in Manchester for nine seasons and if he was not a great professional then he would not have been at the club for so long.

“He is simply going to undergo a small operation on his adductors, which he should have done for a while and which did not allow him to be 100 per cent, so he will do it now.”

Regarding Martial’s transfer plans, Lamboley added: “Anthony will not leave and will stay until his contract ends in June.”