Manchester United are prepared to hold fresh talks with their French forward Anthony Martial over a new contract which would extend his stay at Old Trafford. According to recent reports, the Red Devils are planning to offer him a new long-term deal with his current contract set to run until the summer of 2019 but the club still has an option to extend his contract for a further year.
Martial signed for United in the summer of 2015 from AS Monaco and it is understood that initial discussions have already taken place between the two parties in December last year. However, the club failed to reach an agreement back then and talks are now set to be held again with United confident that they can convince the player to pen a new deal.
Jose Mourinho is eager to keep hold of Martial’s services after the striker put in some eye-catching displays this season. He has scored 36 goals in 129 matches for the Red Devils since making a switch from France. He was also linked with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur last summer but United refused to let him leave. It is expected that Martial will seek assurances about regular game-time during his contract talks with the club.
Manchester United are currently in the second position in the Premier League table with a tally of 62 points in 29 league matches. In any other campaign, Jose Mourinho’s side would be in with a shot of winning the league but the superb form of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City has seen them fall behind in the race for the top-flight title. The Citizens of Manchester are leading the Premier League by a ginormous 16 points with the Red Devils desperately trying to gain ground on their local rivals.
Retaining some of their star players like Martial could go a long way in helping them bridge the gap between themselves and Manchester City in the coming years. At 22, the French ace still has his peak years ahead of him which any of his potential suitors could look to utilize if they can convince United to part ways with their prized asset.
The ex-AS Monaco youngster has featured in 38 matches for the Red Devils this season, scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists in all competitions. He is also highly versatile and can operate in a number of different positions across the frontline. He can play on either wing or as a centre-forward up top which makes him an ideal asset for any team looking to acquire his services.
For now, it seems that he is settled in Manchester but could flourish with more game time in the near future. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Anthony Martial and whether he ends up leaving Old Trafford in search of fresh adventures.
