Anthony Martial booed and whistled as he fails to resurrect career at Sevilla
Karan Tejwani
- 7 Apr 2022 05:10 CDT
- 4 min read
Anthony Martial has struggled to make an impact in his time at Sevilla, and there is a firm belief that his loan spell at the club won’t be extended in the summer.
Martial, 26, joined the club amidst huge fanfare in January, with many believing he would be a key part of their title challenge in the second half of the season.
However, things have not panned out that way, with Sevilla dropping off behind Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the table, and Martial failing to contribute much of note.
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In six league appearances, the French forward has failed to score and has provided just one assist.
To add to their woes, Sevilla were also knocked out of the Europa League by West Ham United.
Issue for Manchester United
This has created a conundrum for Manchester United, who were hoping that Martial’s loan spell would help them find a buyer for the French forward.
Martial made his desire to leave Old Trafford in January clear but United were only able to let go of him in a temporary deal to Sevilla that got them a £4 million loan fee.
The club weren’t helped over the weekend, when Martial was seemingly whistled by his own supporters following a lackluster display against Barcelona.
There was criticism over his lack of desire and movement, with coach Julen Lopetegui also seemingly frustrated, regularly shouting at the forward to press the Barcelona back-line.
Lopetegui, however, has taken an upbeat tone and urged Martial to respond to the naysayers by showing his quality on the pitch.
“This is elite football and people are free and can express themselves as they feel.”
“As a coach, I have to help him to achieve his best version. He is also a professional and has to do his part and adapt to what we ask of him.”
The Spanish press, however, have been less forgiving.
Marca said after the weekend that things went from “bad to worse”, which indicates that Sevilla aren’t interested in keeping the Frenchman beyond this summer.
Earlier in the season, Marca reported that Martial “doesn’t quite fit” into the Sevilla system following an early substitution against Real Sociedad and was frustrated by his situation at the club.
The expectation around Anthony Martial is still to come back to Manchester United in the summer. There's no buy option included in the deal with Sevilla and currently no talks opened to keep Martial for one more season. 🔴🇫🇷 #MUFC
Sevilla will make their final decision in May.— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 26, 2022
The lack of certainty at Manchester United will also be a worry for the forward – the Red Devils look to be in pole position to hire current Ajax boss Erik ten Hag and it’s unclear what his plans will be with Martial.
The former Monaco man has a contract at the club until 2024, and United will be looking to recoup a large chunk of the £36m fee they paid for him as a teenager in 2015 if he is to go.
On an optimistic note, United will be expecting a huge clear-out, and that could save Martial’s Old Trafford career.
Edinson Cavani is widely expected to depart, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s future hangs in the balance, with Champions League qualification still uncertain – that could give Martial another chance in Manchester.
Still, it’s been a difficult few years for a forward once touted as one of the brightest in the game, and Martial would have hoped for better things now that he is entering his prime years.
