Former Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham has admitted that it wouldn't be the end of the world if his former club press ahead with plans to offload Anthony Martial in the summer transfer window.
Martial, 27, has struggled to live up to expectations at Old Trafford since joining United from AS Monaco back in 2015. The Frenchman has been plagued by injuries during his stint in the Premier League and, as a result, has been unable to force his way into Erik ten Hag's team on a consistent basis.
Mirror Football understands that Ten Hag is planning a major overhaul of his squad in the summer with a number of big names, including Martial, expected to be moved on.
And Sheringham, who was part of the iconic 1999 treble-winning team, believes that the time is right for United to cut their losses on Martial. Speaking to Lord Ping, Sheringham said: “He’s a talented player. I don’t think he’s fulfilled his potential at Manchester United. I’m not sure what his best role is – should he play as a winger or a number nine? We know he can take players on.
“There are questions marks about him after he’s been at the club for eight years. I think if the Manchester United supporters are still asking questions about him after eight years, then you would think it may not be a huge loss to see him depart in the summer.”
Although Martial has failed to set the world alight during his spell at Manchester United, the versatile forward is known to be a big favourite of club co-owner Joel Glazer, who even stepped in to prevent former boss Jose Mourinho from selling him during his stint in the Old Trafford hotseat.
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It remains to be seen if Glazer, or any of his siblings, will still be at the club in the long-term, though. After inviting interest from several parties, the United owners now have to weigh up whether or not to sell the club completely after fielding three rounds of bids.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe are two of the main players in the race to acquire United. Despite indicating that they were ready to walk away after 18 years at the helm, it has been speculated that Joel and his brother, Avram, could attempt to stay on by retaining a minority stake in the club. Recent reports have claimed that Ratcliffe, a lifelong Manchester United fan, would offer them the opportunity to do just that.
Regardless of who is in charge at Old Trafford, Ten Hag is expecting funds to bring in an elite No.9 ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Harry Kane and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen are believed to be the Dutchman's top targets.
