Anthony Martial wants to leave Manchester United this summer, his agent Philippe Lamboley has confirmed in a shocking interview.
In an interview with RMC Sport, Philippe Lamboley has claimed that his client Anthony Martial is frustrated by his stature at Old Trafford. The Frenchman, who has been linked with the likes of Tottenham and Juventus, is thus, ready to quit Manchester United in the summer transfer window.
Martial arrived at Manchester United from AS Monaco in the summer of 2015, a virtually unknown quantity, whose £50 million price tag was ridiculed in the media. The player though, quickly put all those talks to rest as he ended his maiden campaign as the club’s top scorer.
The subsequent couple of seasons, however, have seen the youngster struggle, constantly battling for his position in the starting lineup. After being a bit-part player in Jose Mourinho’s first campaign as the Manchester United manager, Martial looked to have turned a page by rising up the pecking order in the first half of the 2017-18 season.
With 11 goals and 10 assists in the first half of the campaign, Martial was one of the most prolific contributors for Manchester United, but all that changed upon the arrival of Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean’s addition saw the player fall down the pecking order to become a bit-part player once again.
Martial started just six games in all competitions since the end of January, and the restricted game time is seen as a major reason he missed the ticket to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with France. As a result, his future at Manchester United has been seen as uncertain for the last few weeks, with the likes of Juventus and Tottenham interested in signing him.
The latest developments now confirm the worst fears for the Manchester United fans, with his agent, Philippe Lambouley claiming that Martial wants to end his stint at Old Trafford.
“After thinking about all the factors and possibilities, Anthony wants to leave Manchester United. There are lots of factors, and right now it’s too early to talk about them. Manchester United want Anthony to extend his deal and do not want him to leave, but we have not reached an agreement for several months.
“I think that when Manchester United, the most powerful club in the world, do not find an agreement after eight months of negotiations then they do not really want to keep such an important player in their squad. That’s why this decision has come — it’s a well-thought-out decision.”
“He loves the club and the fans, he showed it for three years. Without the great support from the fans, he would have already asked to leave the club. However, it is important to remember that he is under contract, Manchester United have the last word and we will respect the club’s decision.”
Lambouley’s final comments are interesting as Manchester United are unwilling to part ways with Martial, and will be concentrating on renewing his contract at Old Trafford. But, Mourinho has previously iterated that he will not stand in a player’s way if he wants to leave, it will be interesting to see if Martial is instead kept onboard following the explosive comments by Lambouley.
