Manchester United forward Anthony Martial by Дмитрий Голубович, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons
Anthony Martial’s future was uncertain at Manchester United following the arrival of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, but it doesn’t appear he’ll be sold this summer.
The 25-year-old was the subject of a £50m bid from Inter Milan recently, but the Daily Mail say United rejected it as they want to keep Martial at Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given the French international a vote of confidence too, but it remains to be seen how much playing time Martial will get this season.
Underperformed last season
Martial joined United from AS Monaco in 2015 and has gone on to make 258 appearances in all competitions, scoring 78 goals with 50 assists. The 25-year-old is coming off the back of a disappointing campaign, however.
He scored just four goals in 22 Premier League games last season and didn’t always command a starting place, so Sancho’s arrival threatened to kick him out of the squad.
Martial has been a frustrating player for United as he scored 23 goals in 48 games the season before last, so the 5ft 9in forward can be prolific. Supporters just don’t know which player they’ll have at their disposal each year.
Why do Inter want Martial?
Inter sold Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea and viewed Martial as his potential replacement. but it doesn’t appear they’ll have luck landing his signature. The Nerazzurri have Lautaro Martinez and Alexis Sanchez to call upon, but Simone Inzaghi wants another forward to add to the squad.
It remains to be seen how much money Inter have to put towards new signings, however, as their financial situation is perilous. Club owner Suning sought emergency funds only months ago, but they’ve now made €115m (£98m) by selling Lukaku to Chelsea.
Summary
It’s a big vote of confidence from United to turn down £50m for Martial, so the French international needs to vindicate that decision this season. He’ll have competition from Sancho and Marcus Rashford, so he has a lot to prove.
