Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly emerged as contenders to sign Manchester United forward Anthony Martial on a free transfer at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
The Frenchman is set to end his nine-year association with the Red Devils this summer, as his contract at Old Trafford is due to expire at the end of June.
Martial has been restricted to just 19 appearances in all competitions this season due to injury, and he has not featured for Erik ten Hag's side since December 9 against Bournemouth.
The forward was initially absent through illness before it was revealed that he had undergone a groin operation.
Martial has returned to individual training, but Ten Hag recently could not confirm whether the Frenchman would feature for the Red Devils before the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
According to Tuttosport, Tottenham are interested in the ex-Monaco youngster, with the North London club keen to boost their attacking options for the 2024-25 season.
The report claims that Juventus are also monitoring the situation, although the Old Lady may find it difficult to pay his salary demands, which could be €6m (£5.1m) a year.
Martial arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2015, and he has represented Man United on 317 occasions in all competitions, scoring 90 goals and registering 48 assists.
The forward has 63 goals and 28 assists in 209 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils, meanwhile, but he has largely struggled to fulfil his early potential.
Martial has only managed two goals and one assist in all competitions this season, with his sole Premier League strike of 2023-24 coming against Everton at the end of November.
Would Martial be a good signing for Tottenham?
At 28, Martial, in theory, should have a lot of football left, and it is not easy to pick up a player who has scored 63 times in the Premier League on a free transfer.
However, context is everything, and Martial has only truly had one brilliant season at Man United, which came in 2019-20, when he scored 23 times in all competitions.
Since hitting 17 Premier League goals that season, he has only managed 12 over the last four campaigns, and his constant injury problems should be concerning for any potential suitor.
On the flip side, Martial is a player with serious talent, and if he can settle somewhere and work his way into a rhythm again, he has the potential to be a real asset for a Tottenham side that will hope to be back in the Champions League next season.
It will be a balancing act for Spurs, but it is a signing that could potentially make sense, and it would be tough for Man United to take if he went on to thrive elsewhere, particularly on their door step. body check tags ::
