Anthony Martial's woes have gone from "bad to worse" at Sevilla and is facing a major conundrum in the summer transfer window.
Manchester United sought out a buyer for the Frenchman after his agent revealed that his client was looking to leave the club ahead of January. A permanent move could not be found but Sevilla were happy to loan the player for a fee of around £4million.
The Spanish club made a huge fanfare over his arrival and billed Martial as a marquee signing at a time when they were hunting down Real Madrid in an unlikely La Liga title charge. Since then, though, it has been a disappointing state of affairs.
Sevilla have dropped off in the title race with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona overtaking them amid Xavi's revival. Form has completely fallen off a cliff and it has been one league win in six -- including a 1-0 loss to Barca.
West Ham also knocked them out of the Europa League - a competition that they have been synonymous with its success. And in Martial, they club have quickly found out that he is not the answer to their problems.
What should be done with Anthony Martial this summer? Comment below
In six league appearances afforded to the United loanee so far, the forward has failed to score and has looked less and less threatening with every week. He has provided one assist but it has been a dreadful return for a player billed as a key signing.
According to Marca, via Sport Witness, there is a common view that Martial will be sent back to United in the summer without a second thought at a permanent transfer. It was the Frenchman's agent that convinced him of the project at Sevilla but that plan has gone from "bad to worse".
Martial had been told to snub interest in Barcelona to make the move to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium instead. It has left a taste of what could have been - considering the successful run Los Cules have been in recent weeks under Xavi.
Sevilla had been plotting a way to bring Martial in on a permanent basis after initially arriving on loan. It was expected that the France international would smash the record transfer at the club - which currently stands at £22.5m for Rony Lopes.
But Martial will now almost certainly return to United where his future will remain in limbo considering the fact that he tried to leave so desperately in January. Whether a new manager can come in and revitalise his career remains to be seen.
Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag are the frontrunners for the job at Old Trafford, who both favour attacking football. But with the Red Devils looking to trim their squad, finding a new club might be in their best interest.
