Anthony Martial has been consistently linked with a move away from Manchester United over the past few months, and according to his agent, “the time has come.”
If what his representation has to say is correct, then we could see the end of the Martial Plan at Old Trafford before the summer transfer window closes. Martial has been linked with a move to several teams in 2018, including Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. The French international may not have made his country’s World Cup squad, but he would be a very sought after commodity on the open market.
“After thinking about all the factors and possibilities, Anthony wants to leave Manchester United,” said agent Philippe Lamboley.
“There are lots of factors, and right now it’s too early to talk about them. Manchester United want Anthony to extend his deal and do not want him to leave but we have not reached an agreement for several months.”
“I think that when Manchester United, the most powerful club in the world, do not find an agreement after eight months of negotiations then they do not really want to keep such an important player in their squad. That’s why this decision has come – it’s a well-thought-out decision.”
“It’s important to remember that he is under contract and that Manchester United will have the last word. We will respect the club’s decision and he will stick with his commitment to the end.”
“Anthony is disappointed because he has shown his love for the club and the supporters for three seasons. Without the unconditional support of the fans he would have already asked to leave United. I think he has done his best for three years and it is important to remember that he scored 11 goals and made 10 assists in five months of last season.”
“Everyone will have their opinion but I think he needs to resume his career. The time has come.”
Anthony Martial had a really solid first season at United under Louis van Gaal in 2015-16, but slumped during the next campaign, year one of Jose Mourinho. This past season, he started off in fine form, being very productive in his platoon with Marcus Rashford. However, once Alexis Sanchez arrived there wasn’t much of a place for him and his productivity vanished.
His being left out of the French World Cup side has often been blamed on Mourinho for not playing him, but if you take a closer look at the stats of Anthony Martial versus the other forwards selected– you can see that the finger should be pointed at Didier Deschamps instead.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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