Anthony Martial has refused to rule out a permanent transfer away from Manchester United after joining Sevilla on loan.
The Frenchman spoke at his unveiling and certainly sounds pleased to have made the move to the La Liga giants until the end of the season, and seemed to flirt with staying there longer once that temporary deal comes to an end.
Man Utd fans probably aren’t expecting to see much of Martial again in the future after his drop in form, and Sevilla seems more like the right level for him at this stage in his career.
Martial sounds enthusiastic about the project at Sevilla, talking up club chief Monchi and head coach Julen Lopetegui when asked about the move…
Anthony Martial: “My loan move to Sevilla is valid for next five months, end of the season… but you never know what happens in the future. We’ll see”. ?? #MUFC
“I wanted to join Sevilla because of Monchi and Lopetegui. I’m here to play and show what I can do”. #Sevilla pic.twitter.com/fUxUO5Er6j
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 26, 2022
Discussing Martial’s exit with CaughtOffside this week, former United midfielder Luke Chadwick admitted his regret at the 26-year-old failing to live up to the potential he showed earlier on in his Old Trafford career.
“He (Martial) had some fantastic moments in his time at the club, some great performances the season before last in particular,” Chadwick said.
“He had a huge amount of potential but never showed it on a consistent basis. He perhaps needed a manager to put their arm around him and I think since Van Gaal left he didn’t really have that, he was never really trusted or seen as a striker, having been shifted out wide by Mourinho.
“I’m sure it was the right time for Van Gaal to go but maybe it wouldn’t have been Martial’s first choice. Under a different manager maybe he would’ve done better, but the club will always be the most important thing.”
Sevilla are competing with Real Madrid for the La Liga title this season and it would be some story if Martial could end up playing a key role in helping them to that unlikely victory.