Should Man Utd sell Martial in January?
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 30 Nov 2021 15:10 CST
- 6 min read
"Oh yes. Welcome to Manchester United, Anthony Martial." Those were the words uttered by Martin Tyler when Anthony Martial scored on his Man Utd debut against Liverpool at Old Trafford in front of an adoring home crowd.
Arriving in Manchester with a glowing reputation from France, and comparisons to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, big things were expected of Martial, especially given his large price tag.
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It cost Man Utd £38.5 million to prise Martial away from his homeland, with that fee reportedly rising to around £61.5m with various add-ons. But, that was immediately forgotten when he slotted home in his first game for the club.
Signed back in 2015, Martial won the Golden Boy award that year, and six years on, he will only turn 26 on 5 December. The Frenchman should be in his prime right now, but he simply isn't.
In fact, so far in the 2021/22 season, he has started just two Premier League games. It's a remarkable downturn from the player who looked so promising on his debut, and was so devastating during 'Project Restart.'
Martial netted 17 league goals during the 2019/20 campaign, an impressive amount for someone with 31 starts. He was finally handed a run of games playing as the central striker, and with Marcus Rashford on the left, and Bruno Fernandes just behind him, Martial was thriving.
However, last season wasn't up to scratch, and he scored just four Premier League goals. That led to calls for him to be sold, and those calls can still be heard today.
Should Man Utd sell Martial in January?
With so little game time to his name this season, his high wages, and the competition for places, Martial isn't of much help on the bench.
Cristiano Ronaldo's return has stopped Edinson Cavani from getting regular minutes, and the former Paris Saint-Germain striker was the one who displaced Martial last season. So, he's already third choice, and that's excluding Mason Greenwood, who usually plays on the right, but would likely be preferred to Martial through the middle.
He may not be on the same wages as Ronaldo, but it's still a considerable waste of money to have Martial warming the bench. Furthermore, the money acquired by selling the Frenchman could be used to buy a new defensive midfielder, which is what Man Utd really need.
Martial won't be at his highest market value, but he could still add to the transfer kitty which could be used to sign a high quality No.6.
But, Ralf Rangnick's arrival could change things. Now, Martial has never really pressed during his career, so it's quite unlikely he'll be a favourite under the German - Edinson Cavani will be - but crazier things have happened.
Rangnick could enjoy working with Martial, and if that's the case, then the club should keep hold of him. However, with the plethora of options available to Rangnick, getting rid of one most likely wouldn't be the worst idea.
Furthermore, Marca have reported that Barcelona are considering a move for Martial, while Juventus are rumoured to be interested. If that is the case, then Man Utd shouldn't find shifting him too much of an issue, and although he has the talent required to play for the club, it's too inconsistent, and it might be time to let go of the Martial dream at Old Trafford.
