Martial: Why I rejected Barcelona and Juventus

FT Desk

• 9 Feb 2022 16:45 GMT
• 3 min read

Anthony Martial has explained his reasons for rejecting both Barcelona and Juventus in order to join Sevilla on loan in January.

Last month, Anthony Martial completed a six-month loan move from Man Utd to Sevilla for the remainder of the season.

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The French forward had been desperate to quit Man Utd, putting in a transfer request at the beginning of the month due to a lack of playing time.

There was a lot of interest in his services, with both Juventus and Barcelona tabling offers.

Martial has now explained why he opted for Sevilla instead of these two big clubs.

What did Martial say?

“It’s true, Juventus tried to sign me,” Martial told Diario de Sevilla.

“They were talking to my agent but I told him that I preferred Sevilla. It was the best option for my family and me.

“Barcelona held talks with my agent as well, but once again, I said that my priority was Sevilla. I didn’t change my mind. I always keep my word when I say something to somebody.”

Martial made his Sevilla debut in the 0-0 draw with Osasuna on Saturday, playing 77 minutes.

Sevilla have no option to make Martial’s move permanent, but a positive five months in La Liga will certainly open doors.

Martial had barely played at all at Man Utd since the start of December.

He was also involved in a bust-up with Man Utd interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

Following Man Utd’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa a fortnight ago, Rangnick told the media that Martial had refused to play. This was publicly denied by the Frenchman.

After failing to sign Martial, Juventus instead turned their attentions to Dusan Vlahovic. The Bianconeri paid €80 million for the Fiorentina man and he scored on his debut against Verona on Sunday.

Barcelona instead signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on a free transfer from Arsenal. Aubameyang came on as a substitute in the 4-2 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.