‘He’s a Ten Hag player’ – Man Utd urged to complete massive U-turn on expensive flop which may anger fans

A European football expert has explained why Erik ten Hag may end up relying on Anthony Martial next season, as the Frenchman is ‘such a Ten Hag player’ even though he can also be ‘frustrating’.

Man Utd spent an initial £36million when signing the forward from Monaco in September 2015, though the deal had the potential to be worth a whopping £58m through bonus clauses. Martial was only 19 at the time and became the world’s most expensive teenager, a feat which has since been surpassed by the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Joao Felix.

While Martial has obvious talent and has shown this on occasion in a Man Utd shirt, he has never been a reliable performer for them. Overall, his record for the club stands at 88 goals in 298 appearances.

Martial fell down the pecking order in the 2021-22 season, which resulted in him being loaned out to Spanish side Sevilla. He returned to the Man Utd squad last term though and managed nine goals in 29 games, though hamstring, back and hip injuries limited his influence on the team.

On May 12, TEAMtalk exclusively revealed the 27-year-old has been put up for sale by Man Utd. He has since been linked with a shock move to Aston Villa, while Juventus are also thought to be interested.

But French football journalist Julien Laurens has urged Ten Hag to completely change his mind on Martial, as the Frenchman is an ideal player for his system. Laurens even suggested Man Utd could start next season with Martial or winger Marcus Rashford at centre-forward, which may leave some fans angry given how desperate they are to bring in a new striker such as Rasmus Hojlund.

READ MORE: Next Man Utd signing ‘imminent’ with deal to set record as Ten Hag weighs up two bargain goalkeepers

“I really like Martial – and Ten Hag loves him,” the reporter said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily Podcast (via BBC Sport).

“He is such a Ten Hag player because he can play number nine but does so much more than just score goals.

Ten Hag ‘loves’ Anthony Martial – expert

“Ten Hag loved him from the first day, but he can’t rely on him. I can understand the frustration from the United fans. You see the potential, you see the brilliance and think: ‘Wow!’ But then he doesn’t do it for five weeks.

“His lack of consistency and fitness is just really annoying and frustrating.”

Laurens added: “There is a player there, but he can’t be the answer because of all that uncertainty and negativity around him. Ten Hag can always move Rashford into the centre and I think he can have a really good season there.

“If United put their money on a goalkeeper, they might start with that and see what happens.”

Meanwhile, a report has revealed a second Man Utd bid is ready after Ten Hag decided on his preferred next striker.