Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been encouraged to 'scrap' Joel Glazer's favourite Anthony Martial in the summer and sign Joao Felix from under Chelsea's nose.
The Red Devils manager has impressed during his first campaign in the hot seat and has already ended the club's six-year wait for silverware after winning the Carabao Cup. Ten Hag will have some big calls to make in the summer, one of which will be surrounding what to do with Martial.
The former Monaco ace sees his contract at Old Trafford expire in June 2024, which means this coming summer presents United's last realistic chance to cash in on Martial. His season has been littered with injuries, but a tally of 4 goals as late in the day as April is hardly a sensational return.
As a result, Ten Hag may mull over the idea of parting ways with Martial to bring in an alternative to try and ease the goal-scoring burden on Marcus Rashford. Former Aston Villa ace Gabby Agbonlahor has called on the United boss to do so, and he's also suggested a shock target the Red Devils should try and land.
"Antony Martial isn’t good enough, nor is Wout Weghorst – scrap them. Antony and [Jadon] Sancho haven’t been great, so you’re talking about Rashford as their only threat," he told Football Insider.
"They need help, or it could be an embarrassing time in the Champions League for them. Joao Felix, for me, would be a good signing for them."
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Ten Hag look to cash in on Martial in the summer? Comment below
As mentioned, parting ways with Martial may be easier said than done. The 27-year-old has a huge admirer right at the very top of the United hierarchy in Joel Glazer.
Glazer is such a fan in fact, he actually thwarted Jose Mourinho's attempt to offload the forward. While Mourinho was in the Old Trafford hot-seat, he wanted to bring then-Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic to United and send Martial packing in the opposite direction.
Keen for the deal to fall through, Glazer stepped in and refused to green-light the Frenchman's exit despite the clear benefits. He has even reportedly compared Martial to Brazilian icon Pele before.
A loan spell at Sevilla last season failed to inspire an upturn in form out of Martial, nor did his subsequent return to the first team fold at United.
While Glazer has often fought Martial's corner and his decision to block the forward's departure raised eyebrows at the time, United may finally be nearing the natural end to the forward's time at the club this summer, particularly if Ten Hag presents a more reliable figure to replace him.
