Mourinho demanded Man Utd sell flop who ‘wasn’t good enough’ but Glazers vetoed it and he’s still there nine years on
JOSE MOURINHO tried to sell Anthony Martial back when he was boss in 2018 but Manchester United owners the Glazers vetoed the call.
And nine years since his arrival at Old Trafford the Frenchman is still at the club but has cost the owners millions of pounds.
Martial, 28, is set to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season when his contract expires.
The French forward has struggled to find his feet at United with several injury issues standing in his way.
And Mourinho thought it was best to cash him in while his transfer value was still high after the 2018 World Cup.
A former United player told ESPN: “Jose told Ed and the Glazers that he wanted to get rid of Anthony Martial, that he was neither good enough nor reliable enough.
“That was vetoed by the Glazers – Joel was a big fan of Martial as a player.”
But the Glazers reportedly did not want to let him go because they liked the striker too much.
Martial arrived in a deal worth up to £61.5million, but will now walk away for free this summer – which the Special One envisioned during his time in charge.
The United striker has made 19 appearances but only found the back of the net twice this season.
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And this failed transfer highlights the issues fans have with the American owners and hopes Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team can sort out after their 25 per cent takeover.
Meanwhile Martial has previously called out Mourinho’s treatment of him, saying in 2022: “He was talking about me in the press, little phrases, a bit like he had done with Karim Benzema at Real Madrid.
“He likes these games, but he also knows who he is doing it with. He knows that I am 20 years old then and that if I say something, it is I who will be the young person who lacks respect.
“So I said nothing, it was useless. In the second season, I was the team’s top scorer in the first part of the season, he brought in Alexis Sanchez and I hardly played anymore.
“It’s the season of the World Cup and it cost me dearly, especially since the France team won. I should have been there.”