Manchester United will reportedly allow Anthony Martial to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Martial is United’s second longest-serving player, behind Luke Shaw, having joined the club from Monaco in a transfer worth an initial £36million in 2015. He has scored 90 goals in 317 matches across all competitions, but has been ineffective this season, finding the net just twice in 19 games.
The 28-year-old’s contract is due to expire in June, and while United have the option to extend it by 12 months, they don’t plan to. The Athletic reports that United are happy to let him walk away for nothing in order to free up space in their squad for new arrivals in the summer.
They would also be willing to sell him in the January transfer window if a suitable bid arrives, but such an offer is unlikely, given his form and the fact he will be available for free in June. Martial has started just seven games for Erik ten Hag this season and is yet to complete 90 minutes.
He was given a rare opportunity against Bournemouth on Saturday, but made no impact in a shocking 3-0 defeat. Ten Hag was given a clear indication of the thoughts of the Old Trafford faithful, who cheered when Rasmus Hojlund was summoned from the bench to replace the Frenchman in the 56th minute.
Ten Hag defended his decision to start Martial ahead of Hojlund and insisted the defeat was on the whole squad. "Two weeks ago against Everton he played a very good game so he has absolutely the competences and abilities to play, so I don’t think it is fair, after a performance like this, to go to one player,” he said. “We as a group failed all together."
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Martial has won two FA Cups, one Carabao Cup and a Europa League title during his time at United, but he has also endured many difficult spells. He has struggled with injuries and has often become a lightning rod for criticism from supporters during poor patches of form for the team.
He has been a peripheral figure in the past few seasons and was sent on loan to Sevilla in January 2022. Martial failed to impress in Spain, scoring just once in 12 appearances and United have begun to regret handing him a five-year contract extension in 2019.
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The Frenchman earns around £250,000 per week and that money is being earmarked for new signings in the summer transfer window. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is close to completing his £1.3billion deal for 25 per cent of the club and is set to target younger players as part of a new recruitment strategy.
As exclusively reported by Mirror Football, United are tracking RB Leipzig striker Lois Openda as a possible replacement for Martial. The 23-year-old has scored 14 goals in 21 games for Leipzig since his £35m move from Lens last summer and could command a fee of £75m in the summer.
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