As per one of the latest reports by The Telegraph, Manchester United have placed a new five-year contract before their dazzling attacker Anthony Martial. Although manager Jose Mourinho wanted the forward to leave earlier this summer, the board is in no mood to entertain the manager’s appeal.
Alongside Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Martial is seen as a crucial figure to Manchester United’s future. The Frenchman was signed from Monaco by former manager Louis van Gaal in 2015 and so far, he has cost them £44m of a projected £61m fee. Instead of Martial, it is Mourinho’s future which looks bleak at the moment.
Under the tutelage of the Portuguese, the Red Devils have lost two of their first three games in the Premier League, with their latest outing ending in a disastrous 3-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur. After the game, the former Chelsea manager stormed out of the conference room angrily as he demanded more ‘respect’ from the journalists.
Manchester United’s apparent stance to keep Martial is yet another blow to Mourinho’s dwindling authority at the Old Trafford. The 55-year-old has already seen an erosion of his control over the transfers of the club after failing to sign a centre-back in the transfer window and it will be really intriguing to see what lies ahead for him.