Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Anthony Martial wants to leave, Erik ten Hag blamed for Jadon Sancho saga, and more - October 12, 2023
Manchester United have endured a difficult start to the season so far, losing six of their 11 games across competitions. The Red Devils won the EFL Cup last season, but have failed to get going this year.
Meanwhile, Anthony Martial wants to leave Old Trafford next year. Elsewhere, Erik ten Hag has been blamed for his ongoing tussle with Jadon Sancho.
On that note, let's take a look at the major Manchester United transfer stories from October 12, 2023.
Anthony Martial wants to leave Manchester United
Anthony Martial is ready to leave Manchester United in 2024, according to Football Insider. The Frenchman failed to live up to the hype since joining from Monaco in 2015. He has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford under Erik ten Hag, with injuries hurting his chances.
The arrival of Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta has proven to be the final nail in the coffin for Martial. The Frenchman has had to play second fiddle to the Dane this season, managing just three starts so far across competitions.
Martial has registered one goal and one assist from nine games this season and his contract with the Red Devils expires next summer.
Manchester United have the option of an additional year, but the 27-year-old doesn't want to be a backup option any more. The Red Devils are unlikely to stand in his way if he wants to leave.
Erik ten Hag blamed for Jadon Sancho saga
Liverpool insider Neil Jones believes Erik ten Hag is to blame for the Jadon Sancho episode at Manchester United. The English forward has been banished from the first team squad over a recent social media controversy. The 23-year-old's future at the club remains up in the air now.
In his column for Caught Offside, Jones outlined where things went wrong for Ten Hag.
“I think the mistake Ten Hag has made, both in terms of his relationship with the player and from the club’s perspective, is in going public with his dissatisfaction. Once he did that, he a) risked what happened with Sancho responding to his criticism and making the story bigger and b) damaged United’s chances of selling the player," wrote Jones.
He continued:
"United are getting absolutely nothing out of Sancho at the moment, and given the money they invested in him and the talent he has, that is a serious problem, even before we think about the PR side of things. Were they to try and offload him in January, they’d be getting nowhere near the money they paid."
Jones went on to add that Ten Hag's approach to the entire saga has backfired.
“Ten Hag, of course, might argue that his public criticism was an attempt to get the player’s attention and focus, a last resort, if you like, but given Sancho’s reaction it feels like that was a misguided move," wrote Jones.
He concluded:
"The player clearly doesn’t agree with his assessment, or his approach, and there are no winners emerging from this situation. Sancho is sidelined, Ten Hag is without a potentially key player and United are watching the value of an asset diminish with each passing week.”
Sancho joined Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 and has been a disappointment so far.
Rasmus Hojlund heaps praise on Marcus Rashford
Rasmus Hojlund has spoken highly of teammate Marcus Rashford. The Englishman is coming off a spectacular season with Manchester United. The 25-year-old registered 30 goals and 11 assists from 56 appearances last campaign.
However, he has endured a difficult start to the new season, managing just one goal and three assists from ten games.
However, speaking to Tipsbladet, Hojlund labeled Rashford as world-class and added that he enjoys playing with the Englishman.
“I really like playing with him. He is a world-class football player. I enjoy playing with a player like him. He’s a player I’ve looked up to, even though he’s only a few years older than me. He has done well since he came in as a 19-year-old and scored against Midtjylland. I think he has been a great player ever since, and it is of course great that we are team-mates today," said Hojlun
Hojlund and Rashford have shown signs of a budding partnership in recent games.