Anthony Martial will be looking for a new club this summer as he was released by Manchester United after nine years at the club.
The exit of Anthony Martial was long expected as he hadn’t actually played for Manchester United since an embarrassing performance in a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
It was late in May when Martial sent his message to United fans, announcing that he’d be leaving the club after spending nine excellent years as a cult hero for the Red Devils.
Despite it being sad to see a long-term player depart, it was overwhelmingly the correct call with Martial’s contract worth £250k-a-week, money he really wasn’t earning.
Now, there has been a link drawing him potentially to a new club and it will see him take on a few familiar old faces.
Anthony Martial linked with a move to Galatasaray
As the Frenchman searches for the next move in his career, he has now been linked with a move to Galatasaray in the Super Lig.
This comes from a report by ESPN which explains the Turkish giants are interested in signing Martial for free this summer.
If a move to Galatasaray is to work out for Martial, however, he will likely have to significantly drop his wage demands.
The report also adds that Galatasaray are just one of several clubs who have shown interest in bringing in Martial this summer.
A move to Turkey could also see Martial go up against Jose Mourinho who was just this week announced as the new Fenerbahce boss. Mourinho is a manager from his time at United who Martial wouldn’t have been particularly fond of.
What happened between Jose Mourinho and Martial
Martial and Mourinho never quite got along and under the Portuguese manager was probably Martial’s toughest spell as he was harshly treated and even nearly sold.
Martial told France Football – quoted by RMC Sport – all about the disagreements he had with Mourinho, explaining: “It started with the story of the shirt number.
“During the holidays, he sent me a message asking me if I would change to No. 11, explaining that it was great because it was the number of the legend Ryan Giggs. I told him that I had the greatest respect for Giggs but that I would prefer to keep my No. 9. And when I go back to the club, I see my No. 11 shirt, the story didn’t go well.
“He disrespected me, directly. He talked about me in the press, little phrases, a bit like he had done with Karim Benzema at Real Madrid. In the [2017-18] season, I was the team’s top scorer in the first half of the season, he brought in Alexis Sanchez and then I didn’t play much. It was the World Cup season as well, and it cost me a lot at the end, especially as the French team won. I should have been there.”
With all this in mind, Martial will likely be keen on scoring against Fenerbahce and getting one over on Mourinho next season if this move comes off.