Anthony Martial spent nine years at Manchester United but failed to become the world-class striker that many expected he would become at the start of his time at Old Trafford
Anthony Martial became the world’s most expensive teenager when he signed for Manchester United – but the forward failed to deliver on his early promise and left with his tail between his legs.
There was fanfare surrounding the forward’s arrival from Monaco in 2015, just two years after Sir Alex Ferguson had announced his retirement and left United as Premier League champions. The Red Devils paid a remarkable £36million, plus another possible £21.6m in bonuses for the 19-year-old striker.
Almost a decade on, Martial joining AEK Athens as a free agent in September was worlds apart from his record-breaking move to Old Trafford. However, The Theatre of Dreams proved to be precisely that when the fresh-faced youngster stepped off the bench to score on his United debut and complete a 3-1 victory over bitter rivals Liverpool.
United’s new starlet ended his debut campaign with 17 goals in 49 games, and there was hope for the future, but it would take a few years for Marital to eclipse that tally. In truth, there were many reasons for Martial’s up-and-down form at United, all exacerbated by one key issue: he was never a centre forward.
Upon signing Martial, United boss Louis van Gaal declared: “Anthony is a naturally talented, young, multi-functional forward with great potential. I believe this is the club for him to continue his development,” Having scored four goals in his first four games, Ferguson delivered a glowing verdict on United’s new striker: “The boy Anthony Martial, he can be anything.”
Unfortunately for the France international, Van Gaal was replaced by Jose Mourinho in 2016, signalling the first downturn of his United career. Mourinho publicly criticised the striker early in his tenure, with Martial admitting he was not necessarily a fan of his managerial style . “It’s true that I’d have preferred it if [Mourinho] told me directly, there’s no need to say it in front of everybody,” he told RMC Sport. “After that, you definitely want to prove him wrong.”
Two years later, Martial’s agent, Philippe Lamboley, stated that Martial had weighed up his options and was ready to leave United. The forward had struggled for regular minutes, often competing with Marcus Rashford for the striker or left-wing berth. However, co-owner Joel Glazer was reportedly reluctant to cash in on Martial, and Mourinho was sacked in December 2018.
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The first dent to Marital’s confidence under Mourino was when he was forced to give up his number nine shirt to new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It was an issue that Mourinho’s successor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, fixed in 2019, and the Norwegian coach came closest to helping Martial realise his full potential.
“He [Solskjaer] sent me a message, he said ‘Do you want to take your No. 9 shirt back?’” Martial told Canal+. “I straight up said ‘Yes!’ and he told me now it’s up to you to show me [that you deserve it] every time you’re on the pitch.”
Martial took Solskjaer’s advice and produced his best work for United during the 2019/20 season. Deployed as a striker, Martial lived up to his new shirt number by scoring 23 goals in 48 games and also providing 11 assists. However, only a few months later, United legend Paul Scholes accused Martial of fooling the club into believing their striker issue was fixed.
“These forwards are exceptionally talented lads. We all know that,” Scholes told Stadium Astro in October 2020. “The problem with United’s forwards is that none of them is an actual centre-forward.
“Martial almost conned us into thinking he was one at the end of last season because he scored so many goals and was quite good. He’s started this season quite poorly again, which makes you think he isn’t. It’s misleading. That’s why I’ve kept saying we need a top-class No. 9.”
Edinson Cavani’s arrival threatened his starting spot, while Rashford made the left flank his own. Martial arguably reached his lowest place in the pecking order after United signed Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho in 2021.
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Now aged 26, Martial made just 11 appearances before new interim coach Ralf Rangnick accused the striker of asking to be left out of a matchday squad. Responding to his manager’s comments, he wrote on social media: “I will never refuse to play a match for Man Utd. I’ve been here for seven years and I never disrespected and will never disrespect the club and the fans.”
An unsuccessful loan move to Sevilla followed, and Martial returned to Old Trafford in 2022, where he was greeted by another new coach, Erik ten Hag. Injuries prevented him from making an immediate impact, but the manager moving on from Ronaldo and Cavani gave Martial another opportunity to lead United’s attack.
There were flashes of brilliance, but Martial could not be relied upon. He scored 11 goals under Ten Hag but half of his 48 appearances came as a substitute. Martial was sidelined through injury from December 2023, and his United career came to a quiet close at the end of his contract last summer.
It was ultimately a tale of what could have been for Martial, who never managed to pin down a position in the team through a mix of new managers, marquee signings, and his unfortunate injury record. Aged 29, Martial was offered a lifeline by AEK Athens after returning to fitness and has scored six in 13 for the Greek side so far this season.
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