GiveMeSport
·13 December 2023
Anthony Martial's performances 'won't be tolerated anymore' at Man Utd

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·13 December 2023
Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford since his arrival and now, transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed why his impending departure can give United fans 'hope', while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.
Erik ten Hag's side have struggled to emulate their form from their 2022/23 Carabao Cup-winning campaign and have had to rely on Martial much more than they would've hoped, playing him on 19 different occasions already.
United's transfer business has left a lot to be desired over the years with their keenness to splash the cash and, as such, are set to re-shuffle their squad in 2024. Martial, now 28, is inevitably on the chopping board, especially with Sir Jim Ratcliffe's £1.25 billion investment in the club set to be confirmed in due course.
Much was made of Martial's introduction to the Premier League and the buzz around Old Trafford reached new heights as the Frenchman scored on his debut against arch-rivals Liverpool back in 2015. Once one of the hottest properties in world football, the trajectory of his career has made for a grim watch. At the time of his arrival in the red side of Manchester, he became the most expensive teenager in the world, signing for a fee of £36 million.
The former Monaco man, who pockets £250,000 on a weekly basis in Greater Manchester, enjoyed his best season under club cult hero Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019/20, notching 17 goals and a further seven assists in 32 Premier League outings, though the season following resulted in a measly four goals and six assists. In senior football, reliability is the best ability and Martial, who journalist Ben Jacobs believes is not up to United standards, has shown time and time again that he cannot be relied upon.
His flailing goalscoring return in the Premier League, however, meant that United were forced to re-enter the market, eight years after Martial's arrival, to iron out their issues. In doing so, Erik ten Hag's side brought in 20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund - for a whopping £72 million - to provide a long-term centre forward option, but Jones told GIVEMESPORT that the Denmark mainstay is in urgent need of help.
Jones suggested that he was told last month that the expectation was to see Martial continue donning the United colours beyond the winter transfer market and admitted that, despite the reports that he'll be leaving in January, finding a buyer for the 30-cap France international may become an issue.
The transfer insider suggested that United's decision to cut ties with the striker is a sign of 'hope' as his lack of consistency will no longer be put up with by Ten Hag. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said:
“I was told a month ago that we should expect Martial to stay in January and beyond. And that might still be the case that he stays for the rest of the season because they've still got to find a home for him if he's going to be sold in January. “But at least there's hope for Man United that this inconsistency will not be tolerated anymore. I think Martial’s return on investment has been poor, to be honest. Yeah, he's had some moments, there's no doubt about that. I don’t think it's been anywhere near good enough across this long period of time. He’s been a big part in the lack of faith that you have in this Man United team, and you have to cut ties with players like that in order to move on to a more positive era.”
Replacing Martial will be high on Ten Hag's shortlist given the need to alleviate the goalscoring burden on Hojlund's shoulders. The former Atalanta ace is still yet to open his account in the Premier League and, as a result, it has been reported that his current employers are keen to acquire a support striker to benefit his development.
And while The Athletic reported that Erik ten Hag told the United We Stand fanzine that no January incomings are expected at The Theatre of Dreams, Fabrizio Romano, writing for CaughtOffside, has claimed that the Dutchman is 'lying' and has named a trident of centre forwards that have been discussed in internal United circles.
Former Chelsea striker Timo Werner, red-hot Serhou Guirassy and Borussia Dortmund star Donyell Malen are all on Ten Hag's shortlist, according to Romano. In an interview with GIVEMESPORT recently, however, The United Stand presenter Beth Tucker admitted she'd rather keep ahold of Martial than sign Werner.