Manchester United face battle to convince Anthony Martial to stay despite triggering contract extension
Manchester United on Monday night activated a one-year extension to Anthony Martial’s contract, although Jose Mourinho’s troubled club still face the considerable task of signing the France international to a longer-term deal.
In an expected move, United tripped a clause that will keep the forward at Old Trafford until the summer of 2020, a year beyond his current deal that was due to expire at the end of this season.
In recent years, all United player contracts have included such a contingency and it has been a matter of routine for the club to activate their option at an appropriate time.
In this instance, as was the case last month with goalkeeper David de Gea, the timing of the announcement is to prevent the player from talking to interested parties from outside England, something Martial, 23, would have been free to do when the January transfer window opens in two weeks.
Reports from France have suggested that his relationship with Mourinho has improved in recent weeks. Yet there is still no sign of Martial pledging his longer-term future to the club, with the player having started just nine league games this season.
Martial is still United’s leading scorer, with seven, having started three games fewer than Romelu Lukaku, who has six goals.
Martial was used as a late substitute during United’s traumatic visit to Anfield on Sunday in which they were well beaten, a 3-1 defeat that has sparked further speculation about the manager’s future.
Martial signed from Monaco 3½ years ago for a basic £36 million, although a number of clauses could eventually raise that to £58m.
He made an immediate impact at United, with four goals in his first four games, only for his progress to stall, particularly under Mourinho.
Martial’s failure to win a place in his country’s victorious World Cup squad this summer led to his agent, Philippe Lamboley, claiming his client wished to leave Old Trafford for the good of his career.
