da bet nacional： The France forward has had fleeting moments to remember in an inexplicably long stay at Old Trafford, which is now grinding to a miserable conclusion
da aviator aposta： When Manchester United signed Anthony Martial in 2015, they believed they were getting the next Thierry Henry. But now the striker's career path feels more akin to Louis Saha, another fine French forward whose promising trajectory with the Red Devils was ruined by a tendency to get injured every couple of months.
The difference is that once it was plain to see that Saha was beyond the peak of his powers, he left Old Trafford. Martial, to the the despair of many supporters, has somehow managed to remain with United for nine seasons.
Martial was signed by Louis van Gaal and has played under five United managers, but none of them could say they have truly happy memories of him. The forward certainly had the talent to succeed and proved himself on more than a few occasions, scoring 90 goals and providing 55 assists in 317 appearances.
But his time at Old Trafford has been characterised by flashes of brilliance rather than consistent spells. He has not been able to complete 90 minutes for three years and his latest displays have made him a figure of derision for fans and pundits alike.
He arrived as the club's next great hope, but has become a symbol of the club's decline ever since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, a player who can rarely be relied upon to stay fit, much less score 20 goals per season.
As Martial's long and frustrating career with United winds down towards a near-certain exit at the end of the season, GOAL charts his eventful but hugely disappointing time at Old Trafford…
GettyAn unexpected signing
It is fair to say that Martial would have been on few United fans' transfer wishlists in the summer of 2015, but after a busy window of arrivals and exits, it was revealed that United were pursuing a deadline-day move for the then-19-year-old.
Martial had had an impressive first full season with Monaco, posting 12 goals and five assists, leading to him being dubbed 'the new Thierry Henry' in France. Super-agent Jorge Mendes was called upon by United as a consultant to get the deal over the line, and Martial was given special permission to leave France's training camp during international duty to complete the move.
AdvertisementGetty A £58m fee and a Ballon d'Or clause
Martial had shown potential at Monaco, but eyebrows were raised across Europe when it was revealed United had agreed to pay up to £57.6m ($73m) to get him. United only paid £36m up front, but three clauses, worth £7.2m each, were inserted into the deal which would elevate the fee further.
The clauses ranged from probable and likely to surreal. The first one required Martial to score 25 Premier League goals between 2015 and 2019. Remarkably, that clause was not activated until October 2018. A second clause would be activated if Martial made 25 appearances for France while still at United. Martial remains on 19 caps for Les Bleus and it seems highly unlikely he will ever be picked for his country again.
The third clause, the most ambitious, would be activated if Martial won the Ballon d'Or by 2019. Suffice to say, Martial has never even been considered for the most prestigious individual award in football. In the end, United paid £43.2m for him in transfer fees.
Getty ImagesDream debut and a Wembley winner
Martial made his debut against Liverpool off the bench and scored a truly stunning goal, weaving his way past a dumbfounded Martin Skrtel before curling into the bottom corner to seal a 3-1 win. The Frenchman built on his dream debut by scoring twice at Southampton a week later.
He could not keep up that strike-rate, but ended the campaign with a creditable 17 goals in all competitions, including the winning goal against Everton in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
He was also well-liked by supporters, who revelled in his underdog status and came up with a catchy chant for him, which went: "Tony Martial came from France, the English press said he had no chance, 50 million down the drain, Tony Martial scores again."
Getty Trouble with Mourinho
Martial's progress was disrupted by the sacking of Van Gaal, who had brought him to United, and the arrival of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese signed his old Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, which reduced Martial's role in the team and led to a squabble over the Frenchman's shirt number, meaning he and the new coach got off on the wrong foot.
“I tell him that I prefer to keep my number nine," Martial told . "When I return to the club, I see my jersey with the number 11, the story did not start well! He disrespected me, straight up."