Anthony Martial looks likely to get his way and be handed a fresh chance at Manchester United under new manager Erik ten Hag - much to the delight of Red Devils owner Joel Glazer.
The French forward has returned to Manchester after a miserable loan spell at Sevilla for the second half of last season. Much was made of Martial's arrival in Spain, but he failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed on him. In nine La Liga games, the 26-year-old failed to score a single goal.
As a result, there was hardly much desperation to keep him on a permanent basis at Sevilla, but Ten Hag has recently suggested Martial will be given another opportunity at his parent club to revive an undeniably flatlining career.
This decision from the new United boss is likely to have been inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo's recent demand to leave the club if an offer from a Champions League side comes in for him this summer. The Red Devils were already running low on attacking options, but if the 37-year-old walks it would present a chance for Martial to serve as his in-house replacement.
The player himself has already discussed his United prospects while he was nearing the end of his loan spell in Spain. "I see it very complicated to be able to continue at Sevilla. I'm not worried about that right now. I came knowing that it would be six months and then I would surely have to return to Manchester United," Martial told ABC Sevilla.
He also insisted he is able to operate at the highest level, which will only help his ambition of returning to the starting eleven at Old Trafford. "I'm working on it [to show his best version from now until the end of the season]," Martial added.
"I came to be able to enjoy football again after a long time without playing. I know I can be at a higher level, and I work for it."
The quotes will make for welcome reading from Glazer's perspective, given his admiration for Martial. The American businessman is such a fan he is rumoured to have once blocked the forward's exit during the Jose Mourinho reign.
United were keen on signing then-Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic and viewed selling Martial as a perfect way to raise the required funds. However, Glazer stepped in and refused to sanction the Frenchman's exit despite the obvious benefits.
Some sections of the United faithful may view the idea of potentially replacing the wantaway Ronaldo with a player they already know plenty about as an underwhelming one. With that in mind, cost-cutting measures have to be implemented somewhere.
If Ten Hag spends £70million of his transfer budget on Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong alone, it leaves very little room for manoeuvre when it comes to bringing in a new striker.
Ajax forward Antony has been the subject of a lot of interest from United this summer, with some outlets even claiming Ten Hag has submitted a £41m bid for the player he knows very well from their shared time in Amsterdam.
