Gary Neville advises Manchester United to sell Anthony Martial
The agent of Anthony Martial has revealed that his client wants to leave Manchester United, which has prompted Gary Neville to advise the club to sell the forward. Martial has struggled to earn minutes this season due to increased competition in the forward line.
Man United signed the Frenchman from AS Monaco for £36million with add ons in 2015. Having spent six years in Manchester, he has shown a desire to leave the club after his agent had revealed the development. He has made 268 appearances for the club and has scored 79 goals alongside 50 assists in the process.
Speaking on Sky Sports (h/t The Sun), Neville recommended his former club to sell the 26-year-old by stating that the time is ripe to do so. He goes on to add that Man United kept the attacker in their ranks as they were wary of whether he would excel at other clubs. The Red Devils legend added that it would be a sensible decision to let him leave looking at the options available.
“I probably would have said if they could have got good money for him in the summer, with the players that they’ve got then yes I would. I think Manchester United have always been wary of getting burnt. Of him leaving for £25m and then going on to become a £100m player because he is a special talent.”
Neville believes Man United would have sold the Frenchman had they received a good offer for him in the summer. Now with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho also in the fray, the Red Devils have options.
The chances of Martial breaking into the first XI is remote at the moment. With playtime at Old Trafford a premium, a move away would be the best way forward for everyone involved.
“I just don’t think he’ll ever work at Old Trafford to the extent. they’ve got [Marcus] Rashford, [Mason] Greenwood, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Edinson] Cavani, other players as well. I just think now is the time for him to leave and go and play regular football so I think it’s the right time.”
Time to call it a day?
When you consider the 4-2-2-2 formation that is used by Ralf Rangnick, alongside the option available, you could get a clear picture of whether the French forward has a future at Theatre of Dreams. The four players that the former right-back mentioned would compete for the two spots up front. That does not leave much space for him to get minutes under his belt.
Bruno Fernandes and Sancho were used in the number ten spot in the game against Crystal Palace. Donny van de Beek would compete for one of the places, making it challenging for the France ace to get into the team. And with the reveal from his agent, we could be seeing his last days at the club as the transfer window draws close.
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In that sense, it would be wise to sell him on a decent fee which we could use to back Rangnick in the future. We have other positions where reinforcements are needed, and his sale amount would add to it. A transfer would be in the best interest of all the parties involved.