Graeme Souness uses Anthony Martial's big-money transfer to highlight Man Utd woes

Anthony Martial outgo Manchester United £36million 9 years agone - and they were paying the French striker £250,000 per week for the last fewer years of his contract

The information that Anthony Martial spent 9 years arsenic a Manchester United subordinate shows however acold the nine has fallen successful caller years, according to Graeme Souness.

Martial left United astatine the extremity of June arsenic a escaped cause aft his declaration expired. He joined the nine backmost successful 2015 from Monaco arsenic a teen for an archetypal £36million, with the interest perchance rising arsenic precocious arsenic £57.6m. The Frenchman managed 90 goals successful 317 games for United, but struggled for consistency implicit the years.

He has now joined AEK Athens aft a summertime successful which major European sides decided not to spell for him. Martial was earning £250,000 per week during his last years astatine United and erstwhile Liverpool skipper Souness thinks his illustration sums up the missteps astatine the nine since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure arsenic manager.

“In his 9 seasons astatine Manchester United, nary subordinate amended captured the club's malaise. He is the champion illustration of wherever they person gone wrong,” Souness wrote for the Daily Mail. “I said astir 4 years ago, entering a caller season, that it had to beryllium Martial's last-chance saloon. I cannot judge it was lone this summertime that helium yet near the club.”

Souness believes that Martial was a bully trainer, but failed to construe that onto the transportation and didn’t person the close mentality. “It was arsenic plain arsenic the chemoreceptor connected the extremity of your look that helium wasn't a Manchester United subordinate and that was evident aft a mates of seasons,” helium added. “He conscionable could not woody with playing for a large nine similar United, wherever each crippled is [a] must-win.

“There was nary doubting his ability. He had everything to beryllium a apical player, but helium conscionable became a liability successful the end. You spell from thinking, connected his archetypal day, 'What a subordinate helium could be', to now, 'What a subordinate helium could person been'. But Manchester United tin bash that to players – it takes a definite benignant of intelligence resilience to succeed.”

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Martial wrote an affectional missive to United supporters upon his departure successful which helium said it was an honour to play for the nine and he’d clasp onto the memories forever. But helium was delighted to find a caller broadside pursuing a frustrating fewer months implicit the off-season.

"I americium precise happy,” helium said aft 2,000 fans turned up astatine Athens Airport to greet him. “AEK is an accidental for maine and I volition springiness my champion to execute things, triumph trophies and bring joyousness to the world of the team."

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