Man Utd forward Anthony Martial has struggled to cement a place in the starting line-up on a regular basis under Jose Mourinho, and it now looks like it could lead to an exit.
The 22-year-old scored 11 goals and provided nine assists in 45 appearances in all competitions last season, but frustratingly for him he was in and out of the starting XI constantly.
After making an impressive breakthrough when he initially arrived at Man Utd in 2015 from Monaco, it was a far cry from that prominent role up top as he continued to fight the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata for a place in the side behind main striker Romelu Lukaku.
It appears as though an inability to reach an agreement on a new contract is the source of real frustration from Martial’s part though, as his agent, Philippe Lamboley, has revealed that his client is ready to leave Manchester this summer as they’ve perceived the lack of progress in contract talks as meaning Man Utd aren’t serious about securing his future.
“After thinking about all the possibilities and scenarios, Anthony wants to leave Manchester United,” Lamboley told RMC Sport. “We have not been able to find an agreement for several months.
“I think that when Manchester United, which is the most powerful club in the world it must be remembered, do not find an agreement in eight months of negotiations, it is because they do not really want to make him an important member of the team. That’s the root of this decision.
“However, we do not share the same vision for Anthony’s future. Today, Anthony is disappointed because he has shown for three seasons the love he has for the club and its supporters.”
The Frenchman remains a popular figure with the Man Utd faithful, and so his likely exit won’t go down particularly well with them.
Considering he’s still just 22 and has shown such early promise, it could prove to be a big mistake that Man Utd will regret if they don’t lock his future down and allow him to leave this summer as it’s quite easy to see him flourish elsewhere with the confidence of the manager to be a focal point of the team.