Anthony Martial's inability to lock down a position at Manchester United could be why Erik ten Hag ousted him from the squad.
The French forward made over 300 appearances and netted 90 goals during his nine-year United tenure after joining for what was a world record fee for a teenager in 2019.
Martial's contract was allowed to expire this summer, and he is currently a free agent. The 28-year-old never entirely made a forward position his own at Old Trafford.
Club captain Bruno Fernandes previously inadvertently cited this positional limbo as reasoning for Martial's departure, highlighting the forward's failure to score the necessary goals as a number nine and lack of assists when playing wide.
"With Marcus, there is always that kind of joke with him and Anto [Anthony Martial]," Fernandes told the club in 2020. "I say to them every time I pass to them, they never score.
"They never give me assists. You see again that Anto missed that chance against Leeds. Straight away, I looked at him and started smiling. He understands what I mean by that.
"I think it’s good, it’s positive. Of course, sometimes you have to shout at your team-mate and call him to do different things, that’s also a big part of the game, that you’re pushing a bit more for the other team-mates."
The French ace made 19 appearances in all competitions under Ten Hag last season, scoring just twice. His season was cut short by groin surgery in February, but before this, he was primarily used as a substitute.
There were times when it seemed Martial could have what it took to lead the Red Devils' line, though. During the 2019/20 season, he registered 17 league goals - including a hattrick against Sheffield United - and added a further six in other competitions.
This was under old boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but upon Ten Hag's arrival, Martial started just two league matches before being shipped out on loan to La Liga outfit Sevilla in 2022.
The issue Fernandes revealed - that Martial lacks true goalscoring instinct and cannot play as a prolific winger - perhaps resonated with Ten Hag.
He may have felt that other players could more efficiently do the job Martial had been doing out wide, and brought in promising young marksman Rasmus Hojlund to score goals where the Frenchman disappointed.
This summer, a very similar player to Martial was signed - £36.5m recruit Joshua Zirkzee. Ten Hag clearly believes that he has found pieces who can play Martial's role better, hence the decision to let him walk away for free.
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