Home Football Manchester United to Let Anthony Martial’s Contract Expire, Opening Potential January Exit

Manchester United to Let Anthony Martial’s Contract Expire, Opening Potential January Exit

Football — 12/12/2023

Manchester United refused to extend Anthony Martial’s contract, opening the door to a possible January exit. 

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According to reports, Manchester United have decided not to exercise the option to extend Anthony Martial’s contract, which expires at the end of this season. The French striker is currently in the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, and although the club had the possibility of extending him a further 12 months, they decided not to do so. A report from The Athletic suggests that United management is ready to let Martial leave as a free agent when his contract expires. There is no interest in extending his deal at this time. Martial signed a five-year contract with the Red Devils in 2019, believed to be worth £250,000-a-week, which included a clause allowing United to extend his stay by a year.

Martial had a bright start to his United career but has failed to live up to expectations

With United hesitant to extend Martial’s contract, this raises the possibility of the striker leaving in the January transfer window. However, interested clubs will know that Martial will be available on a free transfer in the summer. Martial joined Manchester United in 2015 from France’s Monaco in a £36m deal, making him the most expensive teenager in football history at the time. His initial contract included bonus clauses that would have increased the potential fee to £57.6m, but the final transfer fee amounted to £44.7m.

The forward's deal at Old Trafford is set to come to an end when the season commences

Manchester United do not intend to activate the option to extend Anthony Martial’s contract

Despite a promising start to his United career, including a memorable debut goal against Liverpool, Martial has struggled to meet expectations and find consistent form at Old Trafford. During his eight years at the club, he scored 90 goals in 317 matches. His most productive season came in 2019-20 when he scored 23 goals in 48 appearances. Martial’s playing time is limited and he has not played the full 90 minutes in a Premier League match since January 2021. Furthermore, he endured a difficult loan spell at Sevilla in January. 1 last year after being deemed surplus to requirements at United.

After Martial’s lackluster performance in Manchester United’s 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, coach Erik ten Hag defended him. Despite criticism from fans, Ten Hag emphasized that Martial has good skills and ability, referring to the previous match against Everton where he played admirably. The Dutchman said that the whole team failed instead of removing one player.

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