In the summer of 2024, French international forward Anthony Martial left Manchester United for Greek club AEK Athens as a free agent.
Not many United fans mourn the loss of the French forward, but how did he go from one of the most promising young forwards in the world to a flop during his time with the Red Devils?
Martial was one of the brightest young talents when he joined United
In 2015, when Martial joined United from Monaco for a reported fee of £36m plus add-ons, which could take the total cost up to £57.6m, he was considered a top young player. United ended up paying £44.7m for the forward after he met some of the criteria in the add-ons of the deal.
He earned inevitable comparisons with another former Monaco star, Thierry Henry, as he came through in the principality and because he played in similar positions to Henry, as a central forward and on the left wing.
Although he was highly rated, some questioned the wisdom of United investing in what was such a hefty fee for the youngster at the time. He was considered to have more potential than fulfilled talent when he joined the Red Devils.
@football.xis Anthony Martial was a young star who looked like he could be one of the best… 💭⚽️ #footballedits #premierleague #manutd #monaco #martial #goldenboys #footballtiktok #viralvideo #blowup #fyp ♬ Stargazing (Slowed + Reverb) – Marcelo De Carvalho
It was the sort of transfer that could have gone either way for the Red Devils. If he had been successful, then it would have been considered a shrewd signing. If he failed to make it, then he would have been considered a waste of money. Although not a total flop, in the end, the latter was true of Martial.
The forward was carrying a considerable weight of expectations on his shoulders at United due to his supposed potential, and the Henry comparisons, which, to be fair to the player, were not his fault.
A stop-start career with United
Martial played for United for nine seasons, with a loan move to Sevilla in season 2021/22 interrupting his mostly underwhelming United career.
In truth, there were flashes of brilliance and seasons where Martial looked like he could be a success with the Red Devils. His problem was that he seemed to have constant injury issues in Manchester.
He never even came close to playing 38 games in a Premier League campaign. The most top-flight games he played in a season for the men from Manchester came in the 2019/20 season when he played 32 games and produced the most prolific season of his career, notching 17 top-flight goals.
Martial made over 30 league appearances in just three of his nine seasons at United. Many footballers can only work at their best when they are constantly playing and gaining confidence and momentum.
The forward never seemed to lack confidence, except maybe when Cristiano Ronaldo was around, but the lack of continuity in his playing time surely affected his goal output. Some critics have questioned his attitude and work rate, but if he was scoring goals regularly, would anybody have even been asking these questions?
No, probably not, but was that the most significant factor in his failure at United? Who knows? Only the player truly knows what is going on in his head. What we do know is that the player was hit with multiple injuries during specific periods of his career at Old Trafford.
Anthony Martial scored 63 Premier League goals in 209 appearances while scoring 90 times in 317 appearances in all competitions.
Some would say that those numbers are not disastrous. However, there is a sense that Martial could have achieved so much more at United and that, given his price tag (which was then a considerable fee), he should have done better.
An example of United’s terrible business in the last decade
It is difficult not to consider Anthony Martial a flop. For him to arrive for £44.7m and leave as a free agent when he was just 28 is an example of United’s poor business in the last decade.
It would have been hard to argue that he was worth keeping, though, as his performances in his final season certainly didn’t justify a contract extension, especially on big wages.
Manchester United has spent a lot of money on so many players who have simply not lived up to their price tag or, indeed, the wages they are paid. Jaden Sancho, Antony and Harry Maguire are good examples of United wastage on players who haven’t performed.
Anthony Martial is one of the symbols of Man Utd’s failure. The wages he has collected over the last 9 years are insane when you look at his return on the pitch 🤷🏼♂️ #MUFC https://t.co/nRpPtyoETe
— Kevin Palmer 💙 (@RealKevinPalmer) November 2, 2023
Meanwhile, other Premier League clubs invest wisely in players and grab bargains in the transfer market, which has helped them excel. United has just dropped down the pecking order because of their poor recruitment and lack of shrewdness in the transfer market.
For much of his United career, Anthony Martial flattered to deceive in a United shirt. Despite showing flashes of his talent, he never fulfilled his potential. Unfortunately, United has had far too many of those sorts of players in recent years.
The forward has made a decent start to his career at AEK Athens, scoring nine times in 19 appearances in all competitions for the club from the Greek capital. Hopefully, he can stay injury-free and enjoy the rest of his playing career.
However, there will always be a sense of what might have happened if things had gone differently for the French forward at United.