Anthony Martial linked with unthinkable move as final verdict on Premier League return revealed

Anthony Martial has been linked with two clubs in a surprise European league as he approaches a final decision on his next club.

More than a decade ago in September 2015, Manchester United completed the £36m signing of Martial, who joined with high expectations as the most expensive teenage footballer at the time.

The Frenchman, who is currently a free agent, never quite reached the heights many had hoped he would, and now, with his future uncertain, he is reportedly facing a move to join one of two clubs in the Russian Premier League.

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Anthony Martial 'in contact' with Russian Premier League clubs

After his spell at Manchester United, Martial joined Super League Greece champions AEK Athens as a free agent and spent a year there, making 24 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine goals and assisting two.

Martial then joined Liga MX club Monterrey, but after just 20 appearances, mutually terminated his contract with the Mexican side back in June and remains without a club, leaving halfway through a two-year deal with the club that included an additional 12-month option.

Given the fact that four months have now passed since leaving Monterrey, it appears the 30-year-old may soon need to make a move to join a new club or accept he may be without club for the rest of this year.

And, according to French outlet L'Equipe, Russian clubs CSKA Moscow and Krasnodar are among the frontrunners for Martial's signature.

Malaga and another unnamed Spanish club are also believed to be in contact with Martial, while a move back to France seems to be off the table after he reportedly turned down a contract from Auxerre earlier in the summer.

His agent reportedly made it clear to several clubs in his home country that Martial's services were available, but Auxerre were the only French side that showed any interest in a move.

The former United forward also reportedly turned down a 'crazy' contract with Libyan club Al-Ittihad Tripoli which included a net salary of €10million (£8.6m) over two years with a jaw-dropping €5million (£4.3m) signing-on bonus.

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Could Anthony Martial return to the Premier League?

Amid Martial's hunt for a new club, the Frenchman was reportedly offered to as many as seven different Premier League clubs across the summer.

Crystal Palace, Everton, Leeds, Brighton, Newcastle, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur are all said to have been contacted by the striker's representatives over a possible Premier League return.

Of those clubs, Everton are believed to be the only side that considered a move following their failure to bring another striker following the shocking collapse of a deal for AS Monaco's Folarin Balogun.

Ultimately, a move to Merseyside never materialised for Martial, and with the Frenchman now considering a move to join a Russian club, it's likely that Everton, and all other Premier League clubs, have made it clear that they aren't interested in a move any time soon.

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