Anthony Martial should recover from injury in time for the start of Manchester United’s pre-season tour but continues to face an uncertain future at Old Trafford.
Martial is one of a host of United players who could be offloaded this summer, with manager Erik ten Hag prioritising the recruitment of a top class centre-forward in a bid to rectify his side’s marked shortage of goals last season.
However, if Martial was to leave, it would necessitate the signing of two forwards as the Frenchman would need replacing and that is considered a complicating factor.
Martial has 12 months left on his existing contract, although United have an option to extend until June 2025, but his £200,000-a-week wages, fitful form and poor injury record may make him hard to move on for a decent fee.
Martial suffered a hamstring injury in United’s final game of last season, at home to Fulham, at the end of last month.
Subsequent scans revealed a tear and it is understood that Martial has been looking at a six to eight week lay off barring any setbacks.
Ten Hag’s first choice forward target has long been the £100 million-rated England captain Harry Kane but there has been pessimism within the corridors of power about their prospects of persuading Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to part company with their club’s all-time top scorer, despite him only having a year left on his contract.
If Levy has to sell Kane, he would prefer to do so to a foreign club, with Real Madrid linked with him as well as Kylian Mbappe, although there is also the possibility of the England striker seeing out the final year of his deal and leaving as a free agent next summer.
United have been linked with a number of other strikers including Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund, Goncalo Ramos of Benfica, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani, Evan Ferguson of Brighton, Dusan Vlahovic at Juventus and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
Ten Hag’s need to strengthen his attack is glaring. Only Aston Villa scored fewer goals of the Premier League’s top nine last season, with United’s 58 in 38 games the same total as Brentford. Champions League Manchester City scored 36 more league goals.
Martial started just 11 Premier League matches during another disappointing campaign in which he was plagued by niggling injuries. He scored nine goals in 29 appearances in all competitions.
Patience with Martial has worn thin among many United supporters frustrated that the player has never fully delivered on the promise he showed after his £44 million arrival as an 19-year-old from Monaco in 2015.
United are due to play Leeds in Oslo on July 12 in the first of seven pre-season matches, with the first wave of players expected to report back the week before for the start of pre-season.
Players are expected to have staggered returns with those involved in international matches for their countries this month afforded more time off.
A six week lay-off would take Martial to July 9. United are scheduled to play Lyon at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on July 19, the day before they fly to the US for the start of their pre-season tour.
United play matches against Arsenal, Wrexham, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in America before returning home and then facing Athletic Bilbao in Dublin on Aug 6.