24 January 2024 , 14:34
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Anthony Martial may have kicked his last ball for Manchester United as he faces another lengthy injury lay-off that will rule him out for at least 10 weeks.
The Frenchman is out of contract at Old Trafford in the summer and is now almost certain to leave the Red Devils for good come the end of the campaign. It marks a dismal end to what was once such a promising career, with Martial becoming the most expensive teenager in football history when United forked out £50million to lure him away from Monaco in 2015.
Over the last nine years, Martial has provided fleeting moments of brilliance, but plenty more moments of frustration. He has failed to score 100 goals for the club despite featuring in their attack for just shy of a decade, and arguably cost United the chance to sign Ivan Perisic.
Mirror Football has taken a look at three of Martial's standout miserable moments throughout an undeniably underwhelming Manchester United career.
Glazer's stubborn transfer stance
Joel Glazer is a keen admirer of Anthony Martial and once blocked him from leaving (AP)American businessman Joel Glazer is a co-owner of the club and a keen admirer of Martial. So much so, that the United chief reportedly blocked a transfer for then-Inter Milan ace Ivan Perisic because it would have meant Martial leaving.
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Jose Mourinho was at the helm at the time and was more than willing to part ways with Martial, deeming the France international surplus to requirements. United set a high asking price for the forward, demanding £70m for the former Monaco man.
However, Glazer intervened and as a result, the striker stayed put, while United missed out on Perisic, much to Mourinho's frustration. The fact that there was so much boardroom intervention over an on-pitch decision is a damning indictment of how things have been run at Old Trafford in recent seasons.
Accused of 'conning' fans
Paul Scholes once tore into Martial and accused him of having "conned" the club (TNT Sports)United legend Paul Scholes did not hold back on Martial when discussing the club's attacking woes during the 2020/21 campaign. Having enjoyed a promising season in front of goal the term prior, hopes were high that Martial could be relied upon to fire the club to glory.
Instead, he ended that season with just four league strikes. Scholes was firm but fair in his assessment of the problem, suggesting that Martial's fine form the season before had tricked everyone associated with the club that he could kick on and improve.
"Martial almost conned us into thinking he was one at the end of last season because he scored so many goals and was quite good. He’s started this season quite poorly again, which makes you think he isn’t. It’s misleading. That’s why I’ve kept saying we need a top-class No. 9."
Surgery hell
Anthony Martial has had his fair share of injury problems at United (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)On final set-back in a spell littered with them, Martial has been forced to go under the knife mid-way through what looks increasingly like his final season at the club. The Red Devils confirmed the news with a statement uploaded to social media.
It read: "Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has completed successful surgery to address a groin complaint and will be out of action for about 10 weeks as he rehabilitates. We wish Anthony a speedy recovery and look forward to his return."
The injury quashes any faint hopes United may have had of generating some cash for him this month, though it is believed that there remain several clubs in Saudi Arabia ready to offer Martial a lucrative new deal to help him revive his career that is rapidly flatlining.