Anthony Martial is enjoying another successful campaign at Manchester United, however, could he decide to leave at the end of the season? His contract is set to expire next summer and he has an option to extend his current deal for a further year, however, talks of a new deal between the player and the club are yet to begin.

Martial has played 128 times for United in all competitions since his move to Old Trafford in 2015 and is currently two goals away from equaling his best Premier League goal tally in a season of 11 goals with 11 games still remaining.

He has become a very popular figure amongst the fans thanks to his trickery and pace down the wings, often proving a nightmare for defenders. So why would he want to leave?

New arrivals overshadow Frenchman

After enjoying two very successful seasons in Manchester, his role in the current squad has since decreased along with the arrivals of two high-profile names. In the summer Jose Mourinho splashed out around £90m to bring Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku to Old Trafford, who made an electric start to life at his new club. He scored 10 goals in his first nine appearances in all competitions for the club breaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s previous record of nine goals in nine games. He has currently scored 12 goals in 26 Premier League appearances in his debut season.

Despite the arrival of Lukaku, Martial still featured in all of United’s first 19 Premier League games of the season and remained a key player in Mourinho’s side.

However, on January 22, Mourinho made his second big-name signing of the season when Alexis Sanchez signed for United. Many began to wonder what this meant for Martial, whose place in the side looked under threat with the arrival of the Chilean who often occupies the same position Martial does.

In the four games prior to Sanchez signing, the Frenchman scored three goals and assisted twice in four very impressive performances. Unfortunately, despite featuring in five of the six games Sanchez has played since his arrival, the addition of the forward has corresponded with a drop in form for Martial. In those five games, Martial has only started two of them and has failed to score or assist in any.

There will be plenty of opportunities left this season for Martial to feature and perform, with United still challenging for the Premier League title and still progressing in both the FA Cup and the Champions League. The sheer number of games in such a short space of time will mean Mourinho will likely be looking to rotate his side in order to gain maximum production from his players, meaning Martial along with other players on the fringe of the starting 11 will get their chances to prove they deserve a place in the squad.

Growing interest from elsewhere

With Martial struggling for game time at Old Trafford, speculation surrounding his future at the club has naturally increased in recent weeks. It may not be the case Mourinho wants to sell the Frenchman, but rather Martial wanting to leave in the search for more playing opportunities. Being just 22-years-old, we have seen just a glimpse of what could come from the forward, and he more than anyone, will want to play as often as he can in order to reach the heights people are tipping him to reach.

A number of clubs are reportedly monitoring his current situation at United ready to make a bid at the necessary time, both from the Premier League and abroad. In recent weeks, it’s been reported that Tottenham is on alert after previously missing out on the Frenchman to United when he was still a teenager at Monaco.

Tottenham may also face competition from their fierce north London rivals Arsenal, who actually tried to include Martial in the transfer of Alexis Sanchez in January. Instead, they received Henrikh Mkhitaryan in exchange, however, they are reportedly set to come back for the 22-year-old in the summer with an improved offer. Interest from abroad from the likes of PSG and Real Madrid is also apparent with both sides looking to attract the world’s best players.

Mourinho is set to open talks with Martial and his representatives in the coming weeks to clear his future, however, the decision will ultimately be Martial’s as to whether he decides to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford or if he’d prefer to play elsewhere where he would see more playing time.
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