The real reason why AEK Athens made the shock signing of former Manchester United star Anthony Martial has been revealed.
After a fairly mediocre career at United, Martial's time at Old Trafford came to an end after the 2023/24 season, following the end of his contract.
The striker made 317 appearances and scored 90 goals throughout his nine seasons with United, with several injury setbacks greatly impacting him during his final seasons.
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As soon as Martial became available as a free agent he was linked with several top clubs, but ultimately opted to join Greek side AEK Athens, and now we know exactly why.
In September, Martial's move to Athens was officially confirmed, with the Greek club reportedly offering the the 28-year-old a lucrative deal worth £2.5 million per season.
The Frenchman has impressed so far, scoring nine goals and assisting two across 19 appearances, yet it's been revealed that AEK felt that signing Martial was a gamble and it was some of his former United teammates that managed to convince them to complete the deal.
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According to The Sun, Martial's ex-teammates told his new club that he would perform to the best of his ability so long as it was clear that the manager believed in him and would play him regularly, a privilege he wasn't afforded at United.
A source from AEK explained: "Based on our research and talks with other Man Utd players, his basic problem is that he felt a lack of trust. His confidence was damaged once he realised he would struggle to find regular minutes.
"One of them told us, 'Don't worry at all, once he plays and finds regular minutes he will immediately deliver. He's a fantastic guy and works very hard in training'."
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The source continued, claiming that Martial's new club believed that the reason for his troubled injury record at United was due to the lack of consistent minutes given to him during his nine-year spell.
"In the club's opinion, his injuries occurred because his last few appearances were very sporadic," the source claimed
"That affected him, it made him more prone to knocks during the small amount of time he was given. It was basically down to his limited match rhythm.
"We haven't noticed anything of concern. There's no concern regarding his training and there is nothing he needs to avoid during training. He trains properly and follows the programme just like everyone else.
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"His metrics were perfectly fine, as was his medical. And he became match fit very quickly. He trains normally despite the demanding programme and game style. He has no issue so far."
Topics: Manchester United, Anthony Martial, Transfer News, Premier League, Football, Transfers
Ben McCrum