Anthony Martial wants to leave Manchester United, agent reveals
Anthony Martial is intent on departing Manchester United in January in pursuit of more game time, his agent has said. The forward, signed in 2015 for £36m rising to a possible £55m, has started only three Premier League or Champions League matches this season.
“Anthony wishes to leave the club in January,” Philippe Lamboley told Sky Sports News. “He just needs to play. He doesn’t want to stay in January and I will speak to the club soon.”
Martial’s contract runs to June 2024 and has an option for a further year. He has not made an appearance under the interim manager, Ralf Rangnick.
Rangnick, while not discussing Martial specifically, said on Friday that he would speak to unsettled players with regard to potential loans in January. Whether Martial would accept a temporary move is unclear.
Rangnick said of his squad: “I got to * know them better this week. I saw most of them play in two games and four or five training sessions but it’s still too early to talk about what might happen in the winter transfer window [but] if I look at the number of players we have it’s still a big squad … We also need to make sure that players want to stay here. If they are still not getting enough game time here it might make sense to speak individually with the players and see if a loan might make sense.”
Paul Pogba’s United future remains in the balance. The injured midfielder’s terms expire in the close season and he can agree a pre-contract deal next month. Rangnick spoke to him by phone on Tuesday and they will talk in person on Sunday.
Mino Raiola, Pogba’s agent, indicated the player was open to a move, but only to clubs offering comparable wages. “We have many offers for him, including a contract extension,” he told the German TV channel Sport1. “We’ll see what’s best for him.” Asked about Bayern Munich he said: “Even they can’t get to Paul’s salary. Germans are at the bottom of the international salary pyramid.”