Anthony Martial began his Manchester United journey in stunning fashion, scoring a goal against Liverpool in a 3-1 win to send Old Trafford into raptures. The deadline-day signing shifted inside from the left, rode a Liverpool tackle and placed the ball into the far corner to give the Red Devils a two-goal cushion.
It was a fairytale start to the French winger’s career, scoring on one of the biggest stages ever. In fact, it was a goal that will surely go into the history books.
Fast forward three years and Martial still hasn’t managed to nail down a starting spot in the Manchester United squad. It’s been an on-and-off journey for the young Frenchman so far. He has made a total 86 appearances in the Premier League for Manchester United, scoring 24 goals and providing 15 assists. This is largely due to his limited game time, often being used as a substitute.
However, the 22-year-old has been instrumental off the bench. In fact, Martial has scored more goals off the bench than when he is picked in the starting line-up.
He made 30 appearances last season, scoring 9 goals and providing 5 assists. Of the 9 goals that Martial scored, 6 came off the bench, which justifies Mourinho’s decision to often deploy him as a substitute.
But that’s obviously not what the player would want. Martial has been reportedly attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur for a while now, and his agent has told that the Frenchman wants to leave Old Trafford.
He could be tempted to move after making no progress at United. And with the arrival of marquee signing Alexis Sanchez in January, the winger has only fallen further down the pecking order. This could tempt the player to finally take a stand and make the move.
A player like Martial would certainly know he’s better than sitting on the bench for a good majority of the time. A move to Tottenham would certainly be controversial, but taking the player’s career into perspective, it’s what he needs.
And as far as Spurs are concerned, Pochettino could utilize a player like him. Tottenham lack a fast-paced dribbler like Martial. They often play Heung-min Son as an orthodox winger but signing Martial would provide Pochettino with a wider range of options to pick from.
Given Martial’s skills, there is no doubt that he has the ability to play with any top side in the world. He just needs to be given a regular run of games. At Tottenham, he would definitely get to play more often, which would help him reach his true potential.
Martial failed to get selected for France squad in the ongoing World Cup, making it easier for Pochettino to wrap up the deal.
