March 30. And then nothing.
Anthony Martial’s last competitive game came on March 30. A Concacaf Champions Cup tie against Cruz Azul, finishing 1-1. Since then, the striker has been training on his own. He is 30.
And according to Foot Mercato, he has just turned down two Ligue 1 clubs. Not feelers. Proper contract offers.
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Two offers, two rejections
According to the report, one was a top-half side and the other a team fighting relegation. Neither was Nice nor Lens, the source says. In both cases, there was no guarantee of a starting spot. Both sporting departments wanted an experienced head, someone who has been at the very top and could help bring the youngsters through.
Martial said no. Twice. Even though he has never hidden his desire to return to France.
Mexico has left its mark
You have to go back a bit to understand why clubs are wary. His spell in Greece with AEK Athens never got going. The Mexico move went even worse: one goal in 20 appearances for Rayados de Monterrey, on a salary reported at around 3.5 million euros a year. The two sides ended the deal by mutual consent at the start of the summer. A sporting flop and a financial black hole.
And yet his name still carries weight. Everton have tested the waters for a Premier League return. One club qualified for next season’s Champions League went deep into the thinking before backing away. Manchester United’s 2015 Golden Boy still gets sporting directors talking, even a decade on.
He is not the only Frenchman in this boat. Paul Pogba was released by AS Monaco this summer and is also looking. Two careers that burned bright early, two players stalled at the same time.
Martial is waiting for the right project. The calendar, though, is not waiting for anyone.
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