Anthony Martial was loaned out to Sevilla by Manchester United in the January transfer window after becoming disillusioned with life under Ralf Rangnick, but his La Liga dream is quickly turning into a nightmare.
Manchester United looked for a buyer for the Frenchman, Martial after his agency revealed that his client wanted to depart before the end of the season. Although a permanent transfer was not possible, Sevilla was willing to loan the player for a cost of roughly £4 million.
The Spanish club greeted Martial with great excitement and labeled him as a headline acquisition at a time when they were chasing Real Madrid for the La Liga title. However, it has been a disappointing state of affairs since then.
In the wake of Xavi’s comeback, Sevilla has fallen behind Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in the title chase. The team’s form has plummeted, with only one league win in the last six games, including a 1-0 loss to Barcelona.
West Ham also eliminated them from the Europa League, a competition in which they have a long history of success. And in Martial, they’ve swiftly discovered that he’s not the solution to their concerns.
So far, the United loanee has failed to score in six league outings and has appeared less and less dangerous with each passing week. He has one assist, which is a poor showing for a player who was touted as a vital signing.
According to Marca, there is a widespread belief that Martial will be transferred back to United in the summer without a permanent deal being considered. The project in Sevilla was persuaded by the Frenchman’s representative, but the proposal has gone from “poor to worse.”
Martial was told to turn down a move to Barcelona in favor of a move to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. It has left a lingering taste of what could have been, especially given Los Cules’ recent success under Xavi.
After first entering on loan, Sevilla had been devising a way to bring Martial in on a permanent basis. The France international was anticipated to break the club’s transfer record, which now stands at £22.5 million for Rony Lopes.
However, given his desperate attempt to escape in January, Martial will almost definitely return to United, where his future will remain uncertain. It remains to be seen whether a new manager can reinvigorate his career.
The frontrunners for the position at Old Trafford are Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag, both of whom prefer offensive football. However, with the Red Devils aiming to cut their team, it may be in their best interests to find a new club.