Martial: Why I quit Man Utd

FT Desk

• 26 Jan 2022 12:12 CST
• 3 min read

Anthony Martial has explained his reasons for leaving Manchester United on loan in January.

Anthony Martial completed a six-month loan move to Sevilla for the remainder of the season on Tuesday.

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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.

And Martial has now explained why he opted to leave United.

What did Martial say?

“My loan move to Sevilla is valid for the next five months until the end of the season but you never know what happens in the future. We’ll see.

“I wanted to join Sevilla because of [transfer chief] Monchi and [coach] Julen Lopetegui. I’m here to play and show what I can do.”

Sevilla have no option to make the 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 last week.

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

"He didn't want to be in the squad," replied Rangnick to a journalist who asked why the German manager had named one less substitute on his bench and two goalkeepers.

This was angrily denied by Martial, who posted a message on social media insisting that this wasn’t true and that he has never refused to play for the club.

"I will never refuse to play a match for Man Utd," he sniped

"I've been here for seven years and I never disrespected and will never disrespect the club and the fans."

The issue was apparently put to bed and Martial even came on as a substitute in the 1-0 win over West Ham at the weekend.

It remains to be seen whether Martial has a Man Utd future when his loan spell with Sevilla ends in June.

Martial joined the club in 2015 as the world’s most expensive teenager but despite some bright spells has never truly fulfilled his potential. He has scored 79 goals in 269 games.