Jose Mourinho reportedly attempted to trade Manchester United star Anthony Martial, but the Glazers vetoed his efforts.
After spending nine largely forgettable years with the Red Devils, Martial, 28, is finally scheduled to depart Old Trafford this summer. The French striker has struggled with consistency despite displaying glimpses of his potential because of multiple injury concerns.
Although he signed a transfer agreement worth up to £61.5 million, he will now leave for free, as Mourinho had anticipated when he was manager. After the 2018 World Cup, a former United player told ESPN that the Special One intended to sell Martial.
Mourinho decided it would be preferable to take advantage of him while his transfer value was still high. However, it’s said that the Glazers liked him and didn’t want to let him leave.
“Jose told Ed and the Glazers that he wanted to get rid of Anthony Martial, that he was neither good enough nor reliable enough,” the former United player recounted. “That was vetoed by the Glazers – Joel was a big fan of Martial [as a player].”
It encapsulates the misguided transfer policy implemented by the American owners, which supporters hope will alter now that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos group are managing football operations following their 25% minority acquisition.
Martial has previously expressed dissatisfaction with Mourinho’s handling of him, saying in 2022: “He was mentioning me in the media, brief comments, somewhat similar to what he had done with Karim Benzema at Real Madrid.”
Though he is aware of who he is playing these games with, he still enjoys them. He is aware that I was twenty years old at the time and that, should I say something, I will be the young person who is disrespectful.
I said nothing, realizing it was pointless. After he brought in Alexis Sanchez, I seldom featured in the second season even though I had been the team’s leading scorer in the first half of the campaign. I lost a lot of money this World Cup season, especially since France emerged victorious. It was my duty to be present.