Martial signed a five-year deal in 2019 with an option to extend for 12 months
Anthony Martial finally looks set to leave Manchester United, with the Red Devils reportedly having no intention of extending his contract.
Martial signed a five-year deal in 2019 with an option to extend for a further 12 months but unless a buyer can come in during the January transfer window, United plan to let the Frenchman go for nothing at the end of the season, as reported by The Athletic.
Antony Martial could be set to leave Man United on a free transfer.
United made history signing Martial back in 2015 when he joined from Ligue 1 side Monaco in a deal worth £36m rising to £58m – making him the most expensive teenager in football at the time.
Martial, however, has failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed on him.
The French forward, 28, has made over 300 appearances for the Red Devils and scored 90 goals, but has not developed into an elite centre-forward.
After a promising debut season, Martial struggled to make an impact under Jose Mourinho, who replaced Louis van Gaal as United manager in 2016.
Martial played his best football under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the 2019/20 season, when he scored 23 goals in 48 games.
The former Monaco forward, however, has scored just 19 goals for the Red Devils since then. Martial spent the second half of the 2021/22 season on loan with Sevilla and has failed to make a positive impact under Erik ten Hag since returning to the club.
The forward has yet to complete a full 90 minutes this season. Some Man United supporters even cheered his substitution in the 56th minute of their 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth last Saturday.
Man United’s reported decision to allow Martial to leave for free and finally cut their losses on the player appears to be, ultimately, the right move for all parties.
Elsewhere, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Hannibal Mejbri all have contracts that expire at the season’s end and all contain options to extend.
Decisions will also have to be made on the futures of Sergio Reguilon and Sofyan Amrabat with both on loan and the potential to make their stays permanent.
Ten Hag’s side face Bayern Munich on Tuesday in a must-win game in the Champions League as their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages hanging by a thread.
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