New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has opted to keep Anthony Martial at Old Trafford this season, according to a report.
The 26-year-old has endured a difficult couple of years with the Red Devils, following his initial success in Manchester after joining from Monaco for around £58m in the summer of 2015.
The forward managed to score just two goals and register one assist during the 2021-22 campaign for United and Sevilla, with the latter being where he spent the second half of the season on loan.
As a result, it was widely expected that Ten Hag would look to move on the France international this summer, but The Guardian are reporting that the Dutchman has chosen to keep Martial as parts of his plans for the upcoming season.
The report suggests that Ten Hag's decision comes as a result of the uncertainty surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford, with the 37-year-old reportedly eager to move on this summer.
However, Ronaldo's options seem to be dwindling as things stand, thus raising the possibility of him staying at the club beyond the transfer window.
The Portugal international has not played a part in United's pre-season tour of Australia for family reasons, whilst Martial has scored in each of the side's three victories over Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace so far.
With Ronaldo being behind on fitness as a result, the report suggests that Martial could even begin the 2022-23 campaign as first-choice striker, regardless of whether the former leaves or not in the coming weeks.
Since joining United, Martial has gone on to make 269 appearances for the first team across all competitions so far, scoring 79 goals in the process.
Matthew Tranter
