Manchester United defender Eric Bailly reveals why Anthony Martial let the club on loan in January
Sevilla star Joan Jordan has expressed that Eric Bailly told him the reason that led to the exit of Anthony Martial from Manchester United in the January transfer window. The latter has joined Julen Lopetegui’s side on a loan transfer for the remainder of this season.
Martial was low down the pecking order at Old Trafford when his loan was finalised last month. He enjoyed a difficult debut for the La Liga side but accepted the criticism that came his way and dropped a great performance in the next game. He was sensational against Elche as his team won 2-0 where he was involved in creating both the goals. The fans also gave him standing applause as he was subbed off late in the second half.
Speaking in an interview with Marca (h/t The Express), Jordan conveyed what Bailly told him regarding the 26-year-old’s departure. from Man United. He revealed that the attacker needed to feel important while also receiving affection from the club. He could not get that at the Theatre of Dreams, which eventually led to the loan move.
“Anthony, I spoke with my friend and brother Eric Bailly, before he arrived. He told me well, that he needed affection and to feel important.”
Unfortunate situation
It is unfortunate that the Frenchman felt that way during his final days at Old Trafford before the loan move to La Liga. However, it’s simply a case of others being above him in the pecking order showcasing that he was not contributing as much to the team as was expected.
The only time the Red Devils loanee felt like he was playing at his best was during the 2019-20 season. Apart from that campaign, he has not done much to warrant a starting spot in the Man United XI. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer even used Paul Pogba on the left-hand side ahead of Martial, which showcased the plight the attacker had to endure.
No one can fault Solskjaer or Ralf Rangnick as players like Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani, Cristiano Ronaldo and Pogba are all ahead of the French forward in various positions. All of them were better than him during those times, but one could argue how he could have gotten more minutes in a rotational role.
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Let’s hope that the Man United loanee can get what he wants in Spain during the rest of the season. Who knows, maybe he can use this loan spell to push himself to get back to his best once this campaign ends. A successful time with Lopetegui would undoubtedly help us as he could still have a future with us.
However, if that is not the case, more clubs could enter the fray if the France international can impress in the meantime. Only time will give us an answer on the potential scenario at the end of this term.