‘Man Utd will not sell Martial’

Manchester United have ruled out selling Anthony Martial this summer, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ready to give the Frenchman more time to find his best form.

After bagging 17 goals in the 2019/20 campaign, Martial could muster up just four last year – form which has seen him linked with a move away.

Initial rumours suggested Martial could be used as part of a swap bid for Tottenham’s Harry Kane, but recent reports claimed the 25-year-old was wanted by Inter as a replacement for Chelsea-bound Romelu Lukaku, with some going as far as to state that United would agree to sell for £50m.

But the Telegraph state that’s not the case at all, and instead Martial remains a key part of Solskjaer’s plans for the coming season – especially with Marcus Rashford out until October while he recovers from shoulder surgery and Edinson Cavani likely to miss the start of the season as well.

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Solskjaer wants his squad to be as big as possible – both as a way to combat fatigue and as a parachute in case of any COVID-enforced absences – and expects Martial to play a significant role in the squad over the coming season.

United are under no pressure when it comes to Martial’s future. He remains under contract until 2024 and the club also have the option to extend that by a further season. It’s noted that Solskjaer plans to give Martial plenty of time to rediscover his best form, and the same could apply to right-back Diogo Dalot, who is back at United after spending last season on loan with AC Milan.

United had been targeting a move for Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier and believed a deal for the Englishman was close. But despite agreeing personal terms with the player himself and his agents, a move has failed to materialise.

That has opened the door for Dalot to come back into the fold and provide competition for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and an encouraging pre-season showing may have persuaded Solskjaer to rethink his priorities.