Anthony Martial is reported to have rejected the idea of leaving Manchester United during the current transfer window, instead determined to stay until the end of his contract.
The striker, who has seen his playing reduced in recent years due to a combination of injuries and lack of form, has entered the final six months of the long-term deal he signed back in 2019.
Martial has been firmly replaced as Erik ten Hag’s preferred ‘number nine’ by £72m signing Rasmus Hojlund, despite the Dane’s young age and lack of Premier League goals. But rather than look to take his career elsewhere this month, Sky Sports has reported the Frenchman is keen to stay.
It is said that Martial has rebuffed interest from Marseille and Fenerbahce, as well the Saudi Pro League, with the intention of fighting for his place at United for at least the short-term.
90min revealed last month that United are unlikely to trigger an option in Martial’s contract that would extend it on its current terms for another year until the summer of 2025.
That hasn’t changed, although Ten Hag recently admitted the club has been speaking to Martial about his contract situation, at the very least raising the possibility that his time at Old Trafford isn’t necessarily going to end as a free agent within the next few months.
Martial has endured something of a rollercoaster career since joining United in a shock £36m transfer from Monaco on summer transfer deadline day in 2015. From scoring on his debut in a win over Liverpool, he ended up taking a back seat to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku in subsequent years, before rediscovering his best form in what promised to be a watershed 2019/20 season.
But, having scored 23 times during that single campaign alone, the player hasn’t been able to replicate that form and has only found the net 19 times for United in all competitions in the three and a half years since – as well as just once during an unsuccessful loan at Sevilla in 2022.
90min understands that United will struggle to move aggressively in this month’s transfer window unless Martial leaves. But Ten Hag would like to add another goalscorer to the squad and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has been identifed as a target after falling out of favour at Bayern Munich.
Lille’s Jonathan David is a longer-term option, while prolific Bundesliga striker Serhou Guirassy, who comes with a €17.5m (£15m) release clause is happy to remain at Stuttgart until the summer.
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