Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is a free agent who could be linked with a move to Serie A side Fiorentina this summer.
The 28-year-old’s contract expires in a week, bringing to an end his nine-year stay at Old Trafford.
The striker emerged with great promise, scoring a magnificent solo goal on his debut against Liverpool in 2015 and threatening world-class talents at times.
Unfortunately, this was the exception rather than the rule and his time at United was plagued by injuries, his performance levels declined sharply and he was little more than a shadow of the player he once was.
Since the Frenchman’s decision with United not to renew his contract, he has been linked with a number of teams in France, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Italian daily Corriere dello Sport have reported that Fiorentina are considering several free agent options this summer and Anthony Martial is a potential target.
The outlet claims that the summer transfer window is “a market with a lot of potential, with Anthony Martial saying goodbye to United and potentially assessing other markets.”
“First there was talk of Inter, but now Galatasaray has proposed. It is certain that the French player born in 1995 still has a lot to offer.”
The Frenchman could be set to link up with another United team-mate in Florence, with midfielder Sofiane Amrabat also likely to return to parent club Fiorentina after completing a year-long loan move at Old Trafford.
Still, the article claims that Manchester United’s soon-to-be free agent Raphael Varane “would be attractive if it weren’t so expensive”, and that Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot’s €7 million demand is too high.
It will therefore be interesting to see what Martial demands – he was reportedly earning over €12 million per year in his last contract with United and it is doubtful whether the Italian side can afford to make an offer big enough for him to consider.
The Frenchman’s agent has stressed that money is not a driving factor in deciding his next move but it is difficult to imagine him accepting such a drastic pay cut after seasons of being prepared to sit on the United bench rather than take a pay cut and move elsewhere.
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