Former Manchester United forward Anthony Martial was reportedly blocked from leaving the club by co-owner Joel Glazer. Martial, who left Old Trafford in 2024, is believed to have been let go by his latest team, Monterrey, becoming a free agent.
Martial's Early Promise at United
The striker's current predicament is a far cry from the hype that surrounded him when he first burst onto the scene at United. Such was Martial's initial promise that Glazer had a glittering view of the Frenchman and stopped the striker's sale between 2017 and 2020, according to the Evening Standard.
Sources stated that Martial quickly became 'Joel’s favourite player.' It's also thought that the businessman believed the forward was United’s equivalent to Brazilian icon Pele.
Glazer's Interventions
United signed Martial from Monaco for £36million in 2015. He scored 17 goals under Louis van Gaal, helping the club win the FA Cup. He was a vital part of United's attack in the early years, reaching double figures for goals in four of his first five seasons.
However, that wasn't deemed enough for former manager Jose Mourinho, who is believed to have tried to sell the player before he was himself given the boot in December 2018. It's during this time that Glazer was thought to have used his influence to block the sale.
Shortly after, in January 2019, United announced that Martial had signed a new deal to keep him at the club until June 2024, with the option for an extra year. Glazer was said to have intervened again in 2020 to make sure Martial stayed put when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was manager of the club.
Decline and Departure
It looks as if Glazer's faith has ultimately not paid off. Martial left United for Sevilla on loan in 2022 after underwhelming in his twilight years at the club. He only made 12 appearances for the La Liga side before heading back to Manchester.
He permanently left Old Trafford in September 2024, after scoring 90 goals in 317 games, to join Greek outfit AEK Athens. He lasted just one year at AEK before signing with Liga MX side Monterrey.
Reports claim the Mexican club have agreed to end the 30-year-old's deal a year early after he was initially contracted until 2027, with the option for another year.
The former French international scored one goal and three assists across 20 games for the club. His time with Monterrey was marred by a dislocated shoulder, however, which occurred in February.
He was then reportedly banished from training after he reacted angrily to not being brought on during Monterrey's 3-2 defeat by Chivas de Guadalajara, having started the clash on the bench.
Martial was subsequently left out of the Monterrey squad for their remaining five fixtures of the season. He has now been released and is looking for another club.
