Anthony Martial is now 'not acting like a Manchester United player'

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·4 November 2023

Anthony Martial is now 'not acting like a Manchester United player'

Highlights

Manchester United have tasked Anthony Martial with proving he deserves to extend his eight-year stay on the club's books as his contract nears its end.
The Frenchman came in for criticism from Red Devils legend Gary Neville after he failed to impress during the midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle United.
Manchester United are understood to be open to selling Martial if the right proposal is put on the table during the winter transfer window.

Manchester United star Anthony Martial is 'not acting like a Red Devils player', and journalist Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT whether the striker is motivated to challenge Rasmus Hojlund for a regular starting berth at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag dipped into the transfer market to complete the £72million acquisition of Hojlund from Serie A side Atalanta during the summer, which pushed Martial down the pecking order.

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The 30-cap France international became the most expensive teenager in the world when he joined Manchester United in a deal worth an initial £36million from Monaco eight years ago, but he has struggled to make an impact during the early stages of the campaign.

Manchester United have thrown down the gauntlet and challenged Martial to prove he deserves a new contract, according to ESPN, with the club deciding they will not rush into negotiating fresh terms or exercising an option to add another 12 months to his current agreement.

The report suggests the Red Devils were open to selling the 27-year-old last summer, due to his £250,000-per-week deal being set to expire at the end of the season, but he snubbed the opportunity to hold talks over a switch to Saudi Arabia.

Martial will not have helped his chances of extending his stay at Manchester United by putting in a poor performance as his current employers crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of Newcastle United earlier this week, with club legend Gary Neville claiming 'there is no way he should be leading the line in any competition'.

Transfer insider Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that the former Sevilla loanee has pulled off a miracle by remaining on the Red Devils' books despite failing to put in consistently high performances for a number of years.

It is understood that Martial will be allowed to seal his Old Trafford departure if the right offer is put on the table when the winter window opens for business at the turn of the year, with West Ham United being among the clubs to have monitored his situation.

The frontman's representatives rubbished claims that Manchester United offered him to Turkish giants Fenerbahce ahead of the summer's September deadline, but remaining in his current surroundings has not paid off as he has been starved of regular action and headed into Saturday's clash with Fulham having only registered one goal this season.

Ben Jacobs update - Anthony Martial

Jacobs believes Martial is failing to meet the standards required at Manchester United, both on and off the pitch, while he appeared demotivated when he was offered the chance to stake a claim for a regular starting spot against Newcastle earlier this week.

The respected journalist feels the Frenchman should be setting an example for his teammates after being with the Red Devils for close to a decade, but that has not been the case due to his application and attitude.

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT:

"I think Anthony Martial has been extremely poor, including against Newcastle. He is not acting like a Manchester United player on or off the field, and it's highly disappointing to see him almost demotivated at the moment. "Let's not forget, he's 27. He's not a teenager, or a player in his early 20s, where you can put it down to immaturity. He has been at Manchester United for long enough that, even when he is not playing, he should be raising the standards of others. That's what you expect from him. "When he is playing, he should be taking his opportunities because he - more than anyone - knows about Manchester United over the course of nearly the last 10 years."

Ten Hag's job now under threat

Ten Hag is skating on thin ice after a woeful start to the campaign, according to The Times, and the Manchester United hierarchy are exploring alternatives in the event of potentially showing the Dutch tactician the door in the coming weeks.

The report suggests Zinedine Zidane, who led Real Madrid to three Champions League titles over the course of two spells in the Bernabeu dugout, and Sporting chief Ruben Amorim have been identified as potential replacements.

But Manchester United will have to fork out a £15million compensation package if they sack ten Hag, with the club being due to pay the remainder of his guaranteed salary ahead of his contract's expiry in the summer of 2025.

The former Ajax head coach has started to lose the dressing room, with players feeling his abrupt approach is having a negative impact on harmony within the squad, while internal conflicts and his handling of certain individuals have been identified as contributing factors to their worrying run of form.

in order to protect themselves and weaken ten Hag's position further.