Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has struggled to find consistent form of late, and journalist Dean Jones has dropped a worrying verdict on the forward, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.
The Frenchman came with a lot of expectation when arriving at Old Trafford, but has flattered to deceive for the most part.
Manchester United news - Anthony Martial
Martial signed for the Red Devils back in 2015 for a fee of £36m, as per Sky Sports. The former Monaco forward has now spent over eight years at the club, including a loan spell with Sevilla during the 2021-2022 season. Martial was an exciting talent when he first arrived at Old Trafford, but over the last four seasons, the 27-year-old has scored just 11 Premier League goals for United, as per Transfermarkt. Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor recently told GIVEMESPORT that United have been expecting to move Martial on summer after summer, but yet he still remains at the North West club.
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth told GIVEMESPORT back in the summer transfer window that Erik ten Hag could look to try to sell Martial, to fund his pursuit of new additions. Martial is reportedly earning £250k-a-week for United, which could be a key reason as to why they're struggling to offload him. Considering his poor form, clubs may be unable to justify paying the wages of Martial. Now Rasmus Hojlund has arrived, we could see Martial fighting once again for game time, and journalist Jones has now given his verdict on the player.
What has Jones said about Martial and Man Utd?
Jones has suggested that he can't quite believe that Martial is playing a key role for United still. The journalist adds that it feels like Martial has been waiting to depart Old Trafford for a few years now, but remains a United player once again this season.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "It is literally unbelievable that Martial is still playing a part for Manchester United, not just being at the club, he's actually part of the picture. This is a guy who, for the last two or three years, has been waiting to leave, and he's just, still there. To be honest, it's quite important that he is still there because of the lack of depth and the lack of options that Erik ten Hag has got."
Anthony Martial - Manchester United statistics | |
|---|---|
Appearances | 301 |
Goals | 88 |
Assists | 53 |
All statistics per Transfermarkt | |
What's next for Man Utd and Martial?
As Jones touched upon, it's a difficult position for both Martial and Man Utd. The French forward started against Arsenal on the weekend, with Hojlund still getting up to speed in the Premier League. Ten Hag has limited options in attack, meaning offloading Martial isn't realistic for the Red Devils at the moment. There's no doubt it's probably best for Martial to move on and try to reignite his career elsewhere, but with a lack of suitors and limited centre-forward cover at Old Trafford, he remains a United player. It will be interesting to see what happens in the January transfer window.