Anthony Martial has reportedly been offered a monster contract to join Greek side AEK Athens, a deal that would make him the highest-earner in the club’s history.
Manchester United released Martial in the summer after nine years at the club. Now a free agent, the Frenchman continues to be linked with clubs in Europe, as well as moves to Saudi Arabia and the United States.
At 28 years old, time is running out for the enigmatic forward to land a major deal before his stock depletes further than it already has.
Martial was once considered one of the hottest properties in Europe. His Old Trafford career started with an iconic goal against Liverpool in which he isolated Martin Skrtel and slotted the ball home after dribbling through the Reds’ defence. Aside from a few high points – namely his 17-goal season in 2019/20 – he failed to capitalise on the hype.
AEK are not put off by Martial previously earning £250,000 per week at United, reports Sport 24 via The Sun. Former Tottenham winger Erik Lamela is currently the club’s highest earner after joining in July in a bid to get his career back on track after a disappointing spell with Sevilla.
Wherever Martial ends up, the club bringing him in will know they are picking up an extremely talented footballer whose application often falls short. Martial is a terrific dribbler and a solid finisher, but his lack of positional awareness often frustrated United supporters.
He rarely showed the urgency to make decisive runs and often ended up behind play, missing opportunities to find space in the opposition’s area. The forward’s perceived lack of emotion also came across as being unbothered on the pitch, leaving fans disappointed by poor effort levels not befit of his financial standing at the club.
Injuries have also played a part in slowing Martial’s career to the point where he can go months without securing a new club. He suffered 20 different injuries from 2019 until his United departure, as detailed by Transfermarkt. There’s substantial risk in getting him to sign a deal with any long-term commitment.
Should AEK move ahead with the deal they will undoubtedly be getting a player who can win matches at that level.
Martial is best when he’s working to his instincts, supported by a team that’s willing to work hard to get him on the ball. His next move is a big one for a career that has veered off course so spectacularly he hasn’t been called up to the France squad since 2021.
