Manchester United make major decision over Anthony Martial's future: Reports
Anthony Martial will reportedly leave Manchester United when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Martial will depart Old Trafford and look for a new club. The French forward has endured a difficult season due to constant fitness issues with he's focused on recovering from.
Martial, 28, hasn't appeared for Manchester United since December as he's been sidelined with a groin injury. His future with the Red Devils beyond this summer has long been in doubt and he may have played his last game for the club.
The 30-cap France international arrived at Old Trafford from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco in September 2015 in a £58 million deal. This made him the most expensive teenager in Premier League history for several years.
However, Martial failed to reach the heights many anticipated amid a dismal injury record. He's yet to hit 100 goals for the club despite being at Manchester United for nine years, managing 90 goals and 48 assists in 317 games.
Martial has only appeared 19 times across competitions this season, registering two goals and one assist. He reportedly held talks with Turkish giants Fenerbahce in January but a move never occurred.
The Frenchman spent the second half of the 2021-22 season with La Liga outfit Sevilla. But, he struggled due to injury issues with just one goal and one assist in 12 games.
Graeme Souness warned Erik ten Hag that he couldn't rely on Anthony Martial at Manchester United
Former Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness gave his take on Martial's situation at Manchester United in July last year. He questioned the striker's consistency and suggested the writing was on the wall many years ago (via Manchester Evening News):
"I think Anthony Martial was in the last chance saloon three or four years ago when he signed his last contract. He’s a talented boy but he just doesn’t seem to be able to do it consistently.
Souness claimed Martial's time with the Red Devils was over. He stressed that Ten Hag needed to sign a new striker to help ease the goalscoring burden on Marcus Rashford:
"His time has come and gone at Manchester United. They need a centre forward to get goals on a regular basis to help Marcus Rashford, who had a good season last year."
Rasmus Hojlund, 21, arrived from Serie A side Atalanta for £72 million. He became the Red Devils' youngest U21 signing in history and has made a promising start. He's bagged 13 goals and two assists in 35 games across competitions and has essentially replaced Martial.