Anthony Martial is closing in on a reprieve to his Manchester United nightmare, with a loan move to Sevilla expected to be completed imminently.
The Frenchman had made it abundantly clear that he hoped to seal an Old Trafford exit this month, having fallen out of favour at the Premier League giants.
Martial has started just four games this season and his cameo off the bench against West Ham was his first involvement since the appointment of Ralf Rangnick.
Manager and player had also been involved in an all too public spat with the former accusing the striker of not deeming himself available for selection ahead of the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
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He strongly denied that assertion and was back in the matchday squads against Brentford and West Ham.
While he was an unused sub in the win over the Bees, with their clash with the Hammers deadlocked, Rangnick turned to the former Monaco man, in order to find a late winner.
And Martial did just that, playing a key role in the build-up to Marcus Rashford’s injury-time winner.
But that looks set to be his last action in a United shirt in this campaign after Sevilla finally accepted the fact they would need to pay the entirety of his wages.
Rangnick spoke in defiant terms ahead of the switch and suggested it would only happen on the proviso it worked well for them.
And Sevilla’s willingness to complete a deal could yet directly influence the future of his parent club with Julen Lopetegui one of the names on the shortlist to be named head coach.
According to the Athletic , the Sevilla manager is one of four names in the frame, competing with the likes of Erik ten Hag, Luis Enrique and Mauricio Pochettino for the top job.
Cristiano Ronaldo ’s agent Jorge Mendes has reportedly already told United bosses that Lopetegui - who has Sevilla firmly in the La Liga title hint - should be hired as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s long term successor.
Sevilla find themselves just four points behind league leaders Real Madrid, less than two years after he guided the Spaniards to yet another Europa League crown.
Unsuccessful spells with Real Madrid and the Spanish national team had hampered his reputation, but his stint at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan has repaired that damage and then some.
But for all of their successes so far this season, the one area they have struggled with is goalscoring and Martial’s introduction could put paid to that pretty quickly.
Despite sitting second in the table, they have managed just 34 goals, significantly fewer than both Madrid above them and rivals Real Betis one place below.
A successful six-month stint in Andalusia could there not only ensure Sevilla remain in the title race, but inadvertently increase Lopetegui’s chances of getting the job at Old Trafford.
United are set to prioritise managers who have experience not only managing the biggest clubs in Europe, but also achieving success with them.
And with no option-to-buy inserted into the loan, Martial’s half-season under Lopetegui could quickly transform into something more substantial, either in Spain - or back in England.
