Delighted with the impressive showings by Anthony Martial in their pre-season friendlies Manchester United have opted against selling the French forward this transfer window, with Italian side Juventus interested in bringing in the player to Turin.
Martial, who went on loan to La Liga side Sevilla last season, returned to Old Trafford after an ineffective stint in Seville. Reports have indicated that the French forward would exit United this summer in preparation for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
However, Martial scored three goals in the four pre-season games so far on Erik Ten Hag’s side after he was given a clean slate by the Dutch manager.
The 26-year-old striker had a fallout with former manager Ralf Rangnick in January and was destined for an exit. First, it was a loan deal with Sevilla where he had 12 appearances in total but with a meager return of one goal.
Meanwhile, Juventus are looking to sign a striker to fill the void left by Alvaro Morata, who has returned to La Liga with Atletico Madrid.
Anthony Martial was immediately identified as the prime target for the Bianconeri, but now United have said they are not willing to sell.
This is on the backdrop of his time with Dutch manager Erik ten hag on Manchester United’s tour of Asia and Australia, where he has played four games and scored three goals.
Despite playing 45 minutes on each occasion, Anthony Martial scored a goal against Liverpool and Melbourne Victory in a 4-0 and 4-1 win, respectively, for the Red Devils.
With Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo uncertain for the new season Manchester United is ready to bank on Martial.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been seeking an exit from Manchester United all summer in search of the UEFA Champions League and has been linked to some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Written by: Daniel Ademiju Idowu