12 October 2023 , 06:14
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Manchester United are set to trigger contract extensions for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelof, but will hold off on Anthony Martial.
The defensive pair continue to be regular parts of the first-team picture, even if they are not guaranteed starters. Wan-Bissaka has enjoyed a renaissance having previously been set for the exit door under Erik ten Hag. Lindelof, meanwhile, continues to get game time and is often called upon at centre-half when Lisandro Martinez or Raphael Varane are unavailable with his versatility also useful.
Martial, though, faces an uncertain future with the club unsure what to do regarding his next move. The Frenchman is into the final year of his deal with a 12-month option available. He's slipped down the pecking order and, after almost a decade, continues to struggle for consistency.
Signed as a teenager from Monaco, Martial has never hit the heights expected and his minutes could be further decreased following the arrival of Rasmus Hojlund, who has started impressively. Old Trafford bosses were willing to let the Frenchman leave in the summer, reports ESPN.
The only realistic offer though came from Saudi Arabia and that was knocked back by Martial himself. It leaves United playing a waiting game and any decision on his future is likely to rest on how the 27-year-old performs this season.
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Last term he hit nine goals in what was an injury-hit campaign, but he's failed to hit double figures in each of his last three seasons. There is mounting competition for places at United with youngsters like Alejandro Garnacho often preferred to Martial with Ten Hag known for his ruthless selection.
Anthony Martial hasn't been prolific in recent yearsThe Dutchman saw Martial battle towards full fitness in the summer and made it known that United would benefit from having more firepower available to them. He said: "When you have player in a squad you expect that he is available and then the players have to take the responsibility to be available.
“But when he's not I have to deal with the situation and we show that we also then can be successful without that striker. But yeah, of course, it's more easy when you have that striker in your team because I think every club who wins big trophies has scoring abilities in that team.”
He also added: “We need a good squad and Anthony Martial is a brilliant football player and so he will help us. He scored goals and also in other areas of football like pressing, in possession, combinations, he's a great player and, yeah, let's hope he will be fit and he stays fit.”