French Manchester United striker Antony Martial returning to the club from an unsuccessful loan spell at Sevilla, could soon see himself leaving Old Trafford again in order to raise funds for a new attacker, according to reports.
It wasn’t so long ago under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer where Antony Martial seemed as though he would be an imperative part of the Manchester United squad for years to come, however according to James Ducker of The Telegraph, it could now look likely that United will look to sell the former Monaco man as a makeweight for other attacking options.
The claim was made in a story highlighting Manchester United’s offer to pry Christian Eriksen away from Brentford.
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Whilst the offer for the Dane didn’t mention Martial as part of the exchange, it was said that United were looking for potential suitors in order to raise funds for another attacker with Cristiano Ronaldo being the only recognised centre-forward for the Red Devils.
With Manchester United having scant options up front it may come as a surprise that Martial is possibly being offered up to other clubs.
But it may be that new manager Erik ten Hag has stated Martial is not part of his plans.
When signed for 36 million back in 2015 as a 19-year-old, the Frenchman was hailed as the future of Old Trafford but has never really fulfilled his potential barring probably the first full season under Solskjaer.
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The United hierarchy may have seemingly lost patience, but if United were to offload Martial you would think there could possibly be more than one attacker arriving as that would only leave Marcus Rashford to trade minutes with Ronaldo as the lone striker.
Perhaps new manager Ten Hag is trying to see if United are able to recuperate any funds for him to go for someone more desirable on his shopping list.
But if a potential move is not on the cards it might not be the worst thing in the world to keep Martial who could do with a new lease of life, like many United players.
Ronaldo won’t be able to play every game at the age of 37 and at the moment, although United’s squad has undergone a needed clear out, it will also need major refurbishment to compete on all fronts, not to mention dealing with Thursday Europa League games.
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If Martial is to be used to increase funds for an alternative striker, there may be a feeling of unfulfilled potential for a former fan favourite.
He has scored 79 goals for the club in 269 appearances, his first was on his debut against Liverpool.
The loan move to Sevilla was supposed to give him a chance to re-ignite form of three seasons prior, but injuries were a hurdle in an ultimately unsuccessful move for the player.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Transfers, Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Anthony Martial, Erik Ten Hag, Premier League, Sevilla