Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is reportedly frustrated at the lack of game time and Tottenham are seeking to capitalize on the situation.
Manchester United face the prospect of losing star attacker Anthony Martial in the summer as fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur plot a shock swoop for the summer, as per reports from the Daily Telegraph.
The 22-year old moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2015 from French side AS Monaco in a deal that has reportedly cost the Red Devils £44 million so far.
After a brilliant debut season under Louis van Gaal when he finished as the top scorer for the club, Martial found things difficult in his sophomore campaign in the regime of Jose Mourinho. Things have improved in the ongoing season though with the France international coming up with returns of 11 goals and 10 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions.
However, Martial is apparently growing disillusioned at the club due to a lack of starting opportunities and a regular run in the playing XI. Out of his 40 appearances this term, the Frenchman has been part of the starting XI only on 24 occasions. He last started a match in mid-March, in the 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.
The arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in the January transfer window has played a major role in the reduced involvement of Martial, with the Chilean directly competing with him for a starting berth on the left-flank along with Marcus Rashford as well.
This has led to growing frustrations within the player due to which he has reportedly declined a new contract offer from Manchester United. Martial will be out of contract at the end of the next season and while the club do have an option of further extending his stay by another year, they were keen on securing the 22-year old’s long-term future at the club.
And Tottenham are looking to capitalize on Martial’s current plight and make an attempt to sign him in the summer transfer window. Spurs’ boss Mauricio Pochettino is looking to add more dynamism and firepower to his frontline and the Frenchman could provide to be an ideal solution, given his ability to play out wide or as a centre-forward, which would also reduce some burden from the shoulders of Harry Kane.
Italian champions Juventus too are reported to be in the hunt for Martial’s signature. The club have previously expressed interest in acquiring the Frenchman’s services and are looking to step up their pursuit of the player in light of recent developments.
The situation is far from ideal for Manchester United as Martial is a player who is adored by the supporters and is thought very highly of within the club’s hierarchy. The player has shown immense potential and has been tipped for great things for the future. Losing him in the summer, especially to a direct rival, would not go down well with the fans and the club needs to act fast to find a resolution to the whole issue at the earliest.
