According to his agent Philippe Lamboley, a lot, if not most, of what you’re hearing about Anthony Martial is wrong. First off, despite all the clubs he’s been linked with for a supposed January exit (Fenerbahce, Sevilla, West Ham, Inter Milan and an unnamed Saudi Arabian outfit), the French forward is staying put this month.
“Anthony will not leave and will stay until his contract ends in June,” Lamboley.
BREAKING: Anthony Martial’s agent has denied reports the Manchester United striker has been told to train alone because he is not fit ?? pic.twitter.com/gSZdFjbZ0i
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 18, 2024
You can see more from Sky Sports in the tweet above.
Martial’s contract expires at the end of the season, so at that point he’ll be able to move anywhere else on a Bosman, or free transfer. At this point, it is near certain that United won’t renew his deal. As for his health, the club party line states that Martial has an unspecified “illness,” and that is why he’s been out of action for the past five weeks.
This mysterious “illness,” according to Lamboley, is actually a hip/adductor problem that will require surgical procedure to repair.
“What is said about him is completely false,” Martial’s rep added.
“He was not excluded from the group and he has no problem with [Erik ten Hag]. Anthony has been in Manchester for nine seasons and if he was not a great professional then he would not have been at the club for so long. He is simply going to undergo a small operation on his adductors, which he should have done for a while and which did not allow him to be 100 percent, so he will do it now.”
As for the narrative that Anthony Martial has been told to train alone because he is not fit, and/or is in a tiff with Erik ten Hag- that’s a new one to us. Hadn’t heard that storyline before.
Although it is easy to believe, as the list of United players who Ten Hag has had major issues with is getting lengthy: Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alex Telles and Hannibal Mejbri.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.