Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is likely to face opposition from the club’s co-chairman over his attempts to sell Anthony Martial.
The Frenchman is believed to be among the players Ten Hag is open to selling this summer following another season frustrated by fitness problems, which has limited him to just six Premier League starts despite the club’s lack of alternatives in the position.
The Glazer family formerly blocked Jose Mourinho’s attempts to sell the forward – when the former boss tried to allow Martial to leave in a move to tempt then-Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic to Old Trafford.
As expanded upon by the Manchester Evening News, Martial is expected to depart Old Trafford at the end of the campaign under the manager’s preferences. Wout Weghorst's loan deal from Burnley also expires in the summer, leaving Marcus Rashford – who prefers to play on the left – as the only senior striker in United’s ranks.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Napoli frontman Victor Osimhen are established long-term targets for United, with great admiration for Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos and Mohammed Kudus, whom Ten Hag coached at Ajax.
Yet United’s ownership may be reluctant to allow Martial to leave due to their long-term admiration of and commitment to the striker, whose progress at United has been consistently stalled by fitness issues and struggling to find a prolonged run of good form.
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Joel 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 and clearly holds him in incredibly high regard.
Martial has bagged six goals in 14 United appearances this campaign but has netted just 84 times across his eight seasons at Old Trafford – a conversion rate which has seen him fluctuate in and out of the first team. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku, Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo have all been signed in the years since, with the quartet all leaving United.
However, his exit this summer may be necessary to help fund new arrivals into Ten Hag’s squad. While United are blessed with multiple options in wide attacking areas, they need investment for a new number nine.
