Exclusive: Man Utd forward to be spared in Ten Hag’s January cull with big-money flops set for exit
Anthony Martial looks set to escape the Manchester United cull in January
Anthony Martial is aiming to avoid a January exit from Manchester United and is unlikely to be forced out of the club, TEAMtalk understands.
The French forward is heading towards his ninth year at Old Trafford after joining from Monaco in 2015, yet is struggling to show the form, fitness and reliability that can turn him back to a first-team starter.
Sources around the club are indicating that there is very much a determination to stick around though and that Harry Maguire’s redemption arc provides fresh motivation for how quickly a situation can turn around.
There have been plenty of column inches committed to Maguire’s likely exit from United in January yet we reported on October 9 how the England international was being given new hope over staying at the club. Since then his stock has continued to rise and we understand he still holds a belief he will remain at the Theatre of Dreams as he heads towards Euro 2024 with England.
Maguire’s upturn in form is very helpful to United, who are on the lookout for new defenders but are also limited in terms of their spending power.
And Martial’s position in the front line could ultimately turn out to be helped by that financial situation too. He is seen as prime back-up to Rasmus Hojlund at centre-forward and with United still currently in the Carabao Cup and with chances of progressing in the Champions League, there will be opportunities.
Elimination from those competitions could change the picture yet United do not currently have concrete plans to recruit an attacker either.
Again, that may change if Jadon Sancho manages to find a new club. But even then, Martial could survive any winter cull at Old Trafford as United insiders say there is no drive to replace him in the squad.
Anthony Martial set to survive Man Utd’s winter cull
Maguire and Scott McTominay are also expected to get a stay of execution at United, despite being linked heavily with transfers for the past six months.
Donny van de Beek, who has played just two minutes of Premier League action, and Sancho seem the two players most likely to leave the first-team picture.
Sancho is now cut apart from the first-team squad and training on Academy facilities after a spat with boss Erik ten Hag.
Sancho is being linked with Borussia Dortmund, but sources have indicated to TEAMtalk that two key developments need to be made on that front before such a move can happen.
