Manchester United striker Anthony Martial appears to have decided to end his career at Old Trafford, as he is reportedly mulling at the possibility of joining Paris St Germain in the summer, as per the reports from The Sun. Martial was signed by former boss Louis Van Gaal for £36 million, in a fee that could rise to as much as £58 million – making him one of the world’s most expensive forwards. However, Martial has been a major disappointment this season, with the player struggling in front of goal. In his first season, the Frenchman came up with 17 goals in 49 appearances. It was a reasonable return for a player who spent much of his time on the wings.
Martial has not featured for the club since playing the 90 minutes in the 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup. Prior to the game, Jose Mourinho branded this match as a do or die for Martial. He said that the only possibility for the 21-year-old to be featuring regularly in the United first team was to come up with a magnificent performance. Even though Martial did not score a goal in this game, he came up with two assists. The striker feels that he has done reasonably well to earn a first-team spot in the big games, but this has not been the case.
After failing to make it to the matchday squad for the game against Hull City, Martial was only on the bench for the recent win over Leicester City. He was an unused substitute in the game. It is believed that he feels that Jose Mourinho is making him as a scapegoat for the troubles on the pitch. As a result, he would rather play for a club where he is valued rather than fighting for a place on the bench under a manager who does not think highly of him. Moving to a club where a regular football is provided is also important for the 21-year-old at the international stage.
Seen as the replacement for Karim Benzema at the French national team level after a few years, Martial has featured in 15 appearances for the French national team. The striker has managed just two league goals in more than 700 minutes of action, and he has been forced to miss some really good chances. Yet, he has had an overall return of six goals in 22 appearances. Paris St Germain would be delighted at the possibility of taking back Martial, who would be an ideal replacement for Edinson Cavani. The club have certainly not replaced Ibrahimovic since the striker moved on a free transfer to United in the summer.
