Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has rejected interest from Marseille, Fenerbahce and the Saudi Arabian Premier League and intends to stay and fight for his place in Erik ten Hag's team
Thursday 11 January 2024 07:34, UK
Anthony Martial wants to stay at Manchester United until the summer and is not interested in a move away from Old Trafford this month.
Martial has rejected interest from Marseille, Fenerbahce and the Saudi Arabian Premier League and intends to stay and fight for his place in Erik ten Hag's team.
United have held talks with the player and his agent about his future. As it stands, they are unlikely to trigger the one-year option in Martial's contract.
Therefore, Martial is on course to leave United on a free transfer when his deal expires on June 30 this year.
Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth on The Transfer Show:
"With Martial, as it stands, they're not triggering that one-year option because they don't want to extend on the current terms. And if they were to receive offers in January, they would consider them.
"Some may say 'why don't they extend that option now?', which would still be on the current terms, and who's to say Martial would stay on for that contract and spend another year at Man Utd, then the club being in same position next summer having paid close to £5m in wages.
"It's a case now of trying to minimise the losses for Man Utd. It's not the ideal scenario, they would've wanted to try to get money for Martial in January because it is the last opportunity that they can do that.
"If not, he will stay at the club for the next six months and looking at the small positive, Martial may look at this as a six month audition for the summer. If he performs well, he could get a good move in the summer and also is also good news for Man Utd an Erik Ten Hag.
"They have tried to sell him before and tried the tactic of letting him go on loan, see if he performs there and when he comes back, his market value might have gone up. They tried it at the end of the 2021/22 season, martial went to Sevilla but it didn't work out.
"There has also been talk that Man Utd haven't really tried to sell Marital, almost because of a fear that he would go away and be the player that they hoped he would be.
"But it's at the point now where it hasn't worked out. INEOS would have been consulted, they want to build for the future and it's clear Martial isn't part of that long-term future."
Sky Sports News reporter Mark McAdam on The Transfer Show:
"Martial is almost symbolic of all the things that have gone wrong with Man Utd's recruitment over the last five to ten years.
"There's been so much promise for so many players that have gone to Old Trafford, but just never quite delivered at the very highest level and taken Man Utd back to where they want to be.
"He was bought in by Louis Van Gaal in the summer of 2015, he was a youngster with raw pace and talent who they believed they could get the very best out of him. You saw flashes of it, but just not enough on a consistent basis.
"If you look at Man Utd's recruitment over that time since Martial's arrival, there's not really been any players that have come in and dislodged him from the No9 or the player they look to for goals.
"They had good seasons out of Rashford, but other than that, they have constantly been looking to Marital to rekindle the form that they invested in.
"It's a shame it hasn't worked out, but he's 28 years old. He's young enough that someone in Europe would invest with him… but this is the start now of a long process of INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
"There's going to be a top to bottom review of how they can sort that out and get Man Utd back to where they believe they belong."
The deal to take Jadon Sancho from United to Borussia Dortmund is expected to be finalised in the next 24 to 48 hours.
The loan fee and salary split has been agreed with final contract details being sorted. The deal is a straight loan with no option to buy.
Meanwhile, PSV Eindhoven have approached Manchester United over the possibility of signing winger Facundo Pellistri.
The Uruguay international has 18 months left on his United contract. United hold the option to extend for a further year.
Pellestri has started three games in all competitions this season.
Elsewhere, Sevilla are in talks with Manchester United over the loan signing of midfielder Hannibal Mejbri.
All parties feel a loan move until the end of the season would benefit the player and allow him to get more game time.
United triggered the one-year option in Hannibal's contract and will assess his longer-term future in the summer.
Hannibal has started four games in all competitions this season and is likely to find minutes even more limited as Casemiro and Mason Mount are close to returns.
The winter transfer window is now open and will close at 11pm in England and midnight in Scotland on Thursday 1 February, 2024.
To ensure harmonisation with the major leagues in Europe, the closing dates were set following discussions with the EFL, DFL, Serie A, LaLiga, and LFP, who will all close their summer and winter windows on 1 September and 1 February respectively.
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms, while you can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News, including daily transfer shows, and listen to our Transfer Talk podcast.
