Turkish giants Fenerbahce have reportedly come forward with an opening bid for Manchester United striker Anthony Martial.
The France international is now free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with teams outside of England after entering the final six months of his deal at the Theatre of Dreams.
Martial's terms do include the option to extend until the end of the 2024-25 season, and the Red Devils have exercised their right to keep Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Hannibal Mejbri at the club for another 12 months.
However, neither Martial nor compatriot Raphael Varane saw their options triggered, and while talks are occurring with the former's camp behind the scenes, a new contract is believed to be off the table.
As a result, the 28-year-old is poised to leave on a free transfer when his contract runs out this summer, but having spent €60m (£51.7m) on his signature nine years ago, Man United could try to recoup a small fee through a January sale.
According to Turkish outlet Takvim, Fenerbahce - who also stand to lose the out-of-favour Michy Batshuayi this summer - are on the lookout for new strikers in the January market and have earmarked Martial as an ideal addition.
The report states that the Yellow Canaries have tabled an opening bid of €8m (£6.9m) for the France international, and they believe that his arrival would have a positive impact on the team's academy players.
It is unclear whether Man United have any intention of accepting Fenerbahce's opening bid, but the Turkish side are optimistic that a deal will go through, having built up a positive relationship with the Red Devils thanks to previous transfer dealings.
Fenerbahce took Brazilian midfielder Fred off of Man United's hands over the summer, and the 30-year-old has been a key player for the Turkish side since his £8.4m switch, setting up six goals in 18 appearances.
Meanwhile, Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir moved in the opposite direction, and while the 25-year-old is yet to make his Red Devils debut, he will enjoy an extended run in the first team while Andre Onana is on African Cup of Nations duty with Cameroon.
Martial's expected exit from Old Trafford in 2024 would bring an end to his mixed nine-year stay with Man United, whom he has scored 90 goals and provided 55 assists for in 317 matches across all tournaments.
The 28-year-old has won a quintet of major honours at Old Trafford, collecting one Europa League crown, one FA Cup, two EFL Cups and one Community Shield, but he has struggled for goals and fitness for a few years now.
Martial - who also endured an unsuccessful loan spell with Sevilla in the second half of the 2021-22 season - has just two goals and two assists to show from 19 games this season, making just five Premier League starts since the £72m arrival of Rasmus Hojlund.
The striker has missed Man United's last five games through illness, but he is believed to have a chance of making his comeback in Monday's FA Cup third-round clash with Wigan Athletic.
The Red Devils have already loaned Donny van de Beek out to Eintracht Frankfurt this month and are said to have reached a broad agreement with Borussia Dortmund over sending Jadon Sancho back to Germany on a short-term deal. body check tags ::
