Anthony Martial has so far failed to prove Roy Keane wrong as the forward hopes to earn yet another chance to save his Manchester United career.
The former Monaco prospect is remarkably set to enter his eight campaign at Old Trafford, but never has his stock at the club been lower. Martial has reported for pre-season training under Erik ten Hag on the back of a dismal loan spell with Sevilla for the second-half of last season.
The new United boss is said to have been handed a transfer budget in excess of £100million to begin his rebuild following a disastrous campaign. Frenkie de Jong is understood to be Ten Hag's priority target, with recent reports suggesting a deal is close to being agreed with Barcelona.
Attackers are also said to be on United's agenda this summer, with Ten Hag reportedly keen on a reunion with Ajax winger Antony. Edinson Cavani's departure coupled with the indifferent form of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, as well as Mason Greenwood's ongoing absence, means United need reinforcements up top.
Martial could well find himself handed an unlikely shot at redemption, despite Keane's assertion that the French forward was 'not good enough' to lead the line for United more than two years ago. The Sky Sports pundit outlined these concerns on the back of the £36m man's best season for the club, having finished the 2019/20 campaign as top scorer.
Keane said: "We have definitely seen something more out of him over the last few weeks in terms of things I didn't think he had in his locker such as that desire. The key for this lad is that if you want to be a big striker at Manchester United you have to score in the important games against the big teams.
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"I do have question marks over him. I always see the big strikers scoring in top games away from home."
These question marks that have only grown over Martial in the intervening years, with the forward now arguably fourth choice for a left-wing role following Anthony Elanga's breakthrough. United are open to a sale of the 26-year-old, although the Manchester Evening News claims there aren't many teams interested.
In the two seasons after Keane offered his scathing verdict, Martial has scored just five Premier League goals. The almost forgotten Red Devils star still has two years to run on his contract, with a reported asking price of £20m still likely to deter potential suitors.
Two years ago, a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain was touted but never came to fruition. Sevilla faced competition for his signature on loan in January, but just one goal in 12 appearances for the La Liga side has seen interest elsewhere dry up.
United's lack of transfer dealings so far coupled with Ten Hag's priorities could hand Martial an unexpected chance to force his way back into the first-team fold. However, the forward clearly still has a long way to prove Keane and his critics wrong.
