On 12 September 2015, Anthony Martial, a youngster brought in by Manchester United for a transfer fee of up to £58 million, came off the bench to seal a 3-1 win after playing with the Liverpool defence. Old Trafford fans thought the legend of one-goal fame had just begun, but they didn't expect it to be its peak. Now, the polo king, who is about to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the Red Devils' debut, has lost his job. Recently, Brazil Flamengo ended negotiations with him and abandoned the introduction.
The 28-year-old left after his contract with Manchester United expired and was linked with a number of clubs during the summer transfer window. Among them, Brazil giants Flamengo found Martial because of a serious knee injury to Pedro. Anthony Martial and another Manchester United veteran, Memphis · Depay, who has joined Corinthians in Brazil, were thought to have a chance to play in the Red Devils derby in Brazil. But because Martial's asking price was too high, Flamengo walked away.
It is reported that the director wants a three-year contract, but the amount of his salary, the Flamengo team is not willing to consider. At Manchester United, the France demon king enjoys a £250,000-a-week salary and he is used to a high income, which unfortunately is not possible at other clubs.
In recent weeks, Athena AEK has made an offer to Anthony Martial for the biggest contract in the club's history. This may seem appealing, however, the data shows that Athens' total wage expenditure in AEK2024 is only £17.75 million, which is equivalent to 340,000 per week, which is not much more than Anthony Martial's income at Manchester United alone! The team's highest-paid player earns just £34,000 a week.
Anthony Martial scored 17 goals in his first season at United, despite a brilliant debut, but has been inconsistent since then, with a record of 23 goals in a single season in 2019/20, but injuries have been on the rise and tally has been dwindling.
Manchester United team-mate Bruno · Fernandes has suggested that Martial's 'four' style of play has prevented Martial from improving, scoring not enough goals in the number nine position and disliking assists on the wing.
"There's always a bit of a joke between Marcus [Marcus Rashford] and Anthony [Anthony] [Anthony] and every time I pass the ball I tell them they never score. And they never give me assists. Do you remember a game against Leeds where Antony wasted his chance and I immediately looked at him and laughed and he understood what I meant. Sometimes you have to yell at your team-mates to make them do different things, and that's a big part of the game, you have to push them."
France legend Petit commented: "It's sad that Anthony Martial has lost his way in the transition. But has he proven himself worthy of consideration by other clubs? He has a terrible injury record and has barely played in the last few years. I think he should go back to France and after so many years of setbacks at Manchester United, it could be a good transfer for him."
Anthony Martial has also been rumoured to join Atalanta in Serie A and Ligue 1 Lille. However, it was rejected by the other party. Among them, Lille's president Olivier · Lattang publicly stated: "Is there a connection with Anthony Martial? No, absolutely nothing! I don't have a habit of hoarding players. We have Jonathan · Davy, Mohamed · Bayo and Matthias · Fernandez-Pardo, and there are already three options in the same position."
A genius with a Ballon d'Or clause in his transfer contract ended up finding a club at the age of 28. This fully shows that professional football cannot rely on talent alone, and hard work is more important.