McTominay insists Man Utd squad remain fully behind Ten Hag
Anthony Martial is set to leave Manchester United when his contract expires next summer if no suitable offers arrive in the January transfer window, according to reports. And while the Frenchman never realised his vast potential at Old Trafford, he saved United a chunk of money in the process.
Martial arrived as an explosive 19-year-old forward from AS Monaco in 2015, joining in an initial £36million deal that made him the world’s most expensive teenager at the time.
Now 28, he hasn’t been a total flop, serving as a regular fixture in the team when fully fit. But that hasn’t been as often as he, United or Monaco would have liked upon agreeing the transfer.
Martial has scored 90 goals in 317 appearances, lifting an FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League across his nine years at the club.
But Monaco allowed United to include three clauses in his contract that would have bumped the transfer fee up to £57.6m if triggered.
Former Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev described them as “very realistic”, suggesting they expected him to become one of Europe’s elite.
The first was triggered after Martial scored 25 Premier League goals between 2015 and 2019, earning the Ligue 1 outfit an extra £7.2m.
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The second went live when the Red Devils No 9 earned his 25th France cap while playing for the club in 2020. He now has 30 to his name.
But Martial failed to meet the requirements for the third, preventing United from paying a further instalment, leaving his transfer fee at just over £50m.
Monaco wanted another £7.2m if Martial won the Ballon d’Or during his time at United, which it’s fair to say he has come nowhere near close to achieving.
It was an audacious clause and has been the subject of jest among the football world since Martial’s Old Trafford career fell flat.
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But it indicates just how highly Monaco rated him, and he was named the European Golden Boy in the year he completed his big switch to United.
Was Martial a £50m player based on his contributions in M16? Based on the market in 2015, probably not.
And Erik ten Hag would be correct to sanction Martial’s release and replace him with a better fit for his striker’s high demands at the end of the season.
However, he has accumulated a cult following at Old Trafford and produced some of the most memorable moments during a mediocre decade after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
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