Elite players from around the world, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Neymar and Sadio Mané are all now plying their trade in the Middle Eastern league after receiving lucrative offers to join their football revolution.

United sold Alex Telles to Al Nassr in the summer and since then there have been several reports linking other Red Devils to a Saudi switch.

Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes have all reportedly been targetted. Varane in particular has attracted a number of column inches in the press in recent weeks.

The latest name linked with a January move is Casemiro as the Saudis seem determined to pluck another name from the great Real Madrid team of the 2016-20 period.

According to 90min.com, “Casemiro has emerged as one of the Saudi Pro League’s primary transfer targets for 2024, with an offer even possible for the Manchester United midfielder in January.

“It’s understood that a number of United players, with Casemiro and even captain Bruno Fernandes, are of interest and the chances of deals are being explored via intermediaries.

“United are not actively shopping Casemiro but with their position along the lines of Financial Fair Play a concern for several months, would be open to selling for the right offer.”

Both Casemiro and Varane were huge influences in United’s successful rebuild last season but both have struggled with form and injuries this term amidst scattered reports of being unhappy at United.

However, it seems unlikely that United would sanction a move for either player in the winter window unless they were able to source a world class replacement at the same time.

The other United star mentioned in the report is Anthony Martial, who 90min says “has also been of interest to Saudi clubs for some time, and is out of contract next summer.”

United do have an option to extend Martial’s contract by a year but it would be tempting to cash in on him in January rather than risk triggering that extension and then being unable to sell him in the summer.

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While the players and fans celebrated together a win that hopefully revives their ailing campaign, one player incurred the wrath of fans, if reports are to be believed.

The Express reports that Anthony Martial went straight down the tunnel after the win instead of acknowledging the away support.

The players clapped to the fans and thanked them for their support, with Scott McTominay even addressing their banner which questioned their commitment.

Martial, however, wasn’t a part of the festivities.

It has been a frustrating season for Martial, as has been for other United forwards.

However, the Frenchman isn’t even playing, with Rasmus Hojlund firmly established as the first-choice option under Erik ten Hag.

Against Fulham as well, Martial came on with less than 20 minutes to go and the game finished without him making any impact.

The goalless appearance worsened his season statistics. Martial has just a single goal and one assist to his name in 14 appearances across all competitions this season.

With his contract expiring next year (United have an option of a year), it is likely to be a whimpering end to a United career that promised so much, especially after his memorable debut against Liverpool.

Throughout everything, his natural talent and flair had him established as one of the fan favourites despite fluctuating form.

The striker might be spending that fan credit in his bank at a rapid rate if he did, indeed, walk down the tunnel without appreciating the fans after such a confidence-inducing win.

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The Dane, who arrived in the summer from Atalanta, has only managed three goals, all of which have come in the Champions League.

Hojlund is yet to open his account in the Premier League. All of United’s forwards have struggled this season. To put this into context, United only have one Premier League goal between Marcus Rashford, Hojlund, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Facundo Pellistri and Anthony Martial-  a shocking return to say the least.

According to The Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel, the Red Devils are already looking ahead to the winter transfer window for solutions.

One of the players currently being monitored by the club is Brentford’s Ivan Toney.

Mokbel relays, “Manchester United aim to recruit a support striker for Rasmus Hojlund in January amid concerns over their £72 million signing’s development.”

“There is also a sense at United that Hojlund would benefit from working alongside a more experienced centre-forward, who would also be able to share the goalscoring burden.”

“Given his young age, United are considering adding a more seasoned centre-forward to their ranks at the turn of the year, believing the right addition would add value to Hojlund’s development.”

The Mail explains that while Martial is on the club’s books, it is widely perceived within Old Trafford that the Frenchman has no long-term future at the club.

It’s expected that Martial will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Toney is not the only goalscorer United have admiration for. Porto’s Mehdi Taremi is also of interest to Ten Hag’s side.

It’s understood that United bosses are keen to reinforce the squad amidst the club’s extremely poor start to the campaign.

Despite being under pressure, Ten Hag continues to play a key role behind the scenes with respect to transfers and recruitment in January.

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Former Manchester United defender-turned-pundit Gary Neville tore into Anthony Martial’s record as a United player after yet another anonymous display against Newcastle United.

The former England international did not mince his words when he claimed the player “should not be leading the line in any competition” for United.

Neville was astounded when hearing about Martial’s paltry record of 89 goals in 311 games for the club. Sometimes it is staggering to think the French international has been at the Theatre of Dreams since 2015.

Martial certainly did nothing to change manager Erik ten Hag’s mind about him starting games more often. The whole team put in a shocking performance in a humbling defeat in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.

The striker only managed 22 passes and zero shots on goal in the 64 minutes he was on the pitch before being replaced by young Dane, Rasmus Hojlund.

And of those 22 passes, only 15 reached their intended target. Sadly, there were no dribble attempts either, as this used to be one of the Frenchman’s most exciting traits.

It has to be said however that there have been bright sparks for Martial over his Man United career but they have been far too sparse to justify staying at the club for so long. As Neville exasperated last night, “They still can’t get him out of the club!”

Nonetheless, once upon time it was a contrasting picture. Martial arrived in the summer of 2015. It was a surprise deadline day acquisition but an exciting one. The striker won the Golden Boy award as he was the best under-21 player in Europe in December of that year.

The then young striker helped the club win the FA Cup by scoring the winner in the semi-final and also finishing the season with 17 goals.

Nobody could forget his stunning debut where he scored a beautiful solo goal in a win against Liverpool moments after coming off the bench.

A cocktail of injuries and manager changes blighted Martial’s career since then with only the 2019/20 season living up to the hype as he scored 23 goals for the Red Devils and finished top scorer in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s debut season as manager. He has not hit double figures since.

The Frenchman is now a shell of the player he once was where his first touch, dribbling prowess and finishing accuracy have seemingly abandoned him.

The Sky Sports pundit claimed that the fact that Martial remains at the club is an incredible “failing of the football recruitment”. The former Man United captain also asserted that new signing Rasmus Hojlund is suffering because of Martial’s presence.

Neville explained that Hojlund has shown “real promise” but there is too much pressure placed on his shoulders. He compared the situation to a bygone era where Hojlund would be playing alongside the experience and quality of player like Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole or even the legendary Eric Cantona. The Dane should have such luck.

The question is what does the club now do with Martial. There are evidently no buyers in the market, or the player would have almost certainly be sold already.

Additionally, Ten Hag’s side has saddled itself with a problem of having no senior goalscorers outside of Marcus Rashford. Even that statement is questionable as the Englishman has struggled to be even half the player he was last season.

One thing is for sure. Martial’s once promising Red Devils career has petered out into nothingness and he will almost certainly have to restart his career at a significantly smaller club.

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Goals from Miguel Almiron, Lewis Hall and Joe Willock were enough to add to United’s woes.

Against Newcastle, Ten Hag’s men had 62% of the ball to the opposition’s 38% share of possession.

United registered a total of 13 cracks at goal, with only two of these really challenging Martin Dubravka.

In comparison, the Magpies managed a total of 10 shots, with five requiring Andre Onana to swing into immediate action and intervene.

United put together 533 passes with a pass accuracy of 84%. Newcastle on the other hand strung 337 passes with a success rate of 74%.

During a night in which a majority of the players did not turn up, one who could have been the worst of a bad bunch was Anthony Martial.

With Rasmus Hojlund given a rest, Martial received the nod to lead the line for his side. However, he did not do much and was taken off just after the hour mark.

During the 64 minutes he was on the pitch, Martial failed to register any shot, whether on target or off target.

He did not attempt any dribble and only succeeded in blocking one shot.

Martial had 22 touches of the ball and managed a pass accuracy of 87% from the 15 passing attempts he had.

The 30-year-old did not deliver any cross or long ball. He delved into three ground duels and did not win even one.

The France international was required to contest five challenges aerially – he won one of them.

He lost possession on five occasions. The striker did not put in any tackle, interception or clearance – such was the extent of just how unimpactful he was.

(Stats obtained from Sofascore)

During the defeat against Newcastle, Martial showed again why United should undoubtedly look past him and look to move him on as soon as possible.

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(A score of 6 is around average)

Andre Onana 5- Gets low points for being the goalkeeper that conceded two but in reality, he was left helpless by the defence for both.

Diogo Dalot 2- His game screams “fatigue” at the moment. Had a torrid time in both attack and defence. Made makeshift fullback Miguel Almiron look like a dynamo on his flank. Was relieved by Ten Hag at half-time, off for Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Harry Maguire 4- Was indirectly responsible for Lewis Hall’s goal as his header fell to the player for the second goal. The “renaissance” talks were always premature, the last two games have proved it.

Victor Lindelof 3- Restored to his natural centre-back position but there was no improvement in form to show for it. The whole defence looked at sea every time Newcastle attacked and he didn’t help.

Sergio Reguilon 4- Can’t really be directly blamed for any goal but was signed as an emergency third option and has played like one. United need more.

Casemiro 3- Got his customary booking early in the first half and picked up right where he left off pre-injury. He might actually be done at the top level, at least in a deeper position. Subbed off at half-time.

Hannibal 3- Could say he was “eager to impress” but in reality, was just plain poor decision-making as he pretty much dared the referee to send him off throughout his stint.

Mason Mount 4- Tested the goalkeeper with a sighter from long range but doesn’t look like a £60 million player right now, let alone a United No. 7.

Antony 2- Can’t really say anything about Antony that hasn’t been said already. His bad performances are like clockwork at this point. Biggest blot on Erik ten Hag’s recruitment at United.

Alejandro Garnacho 4- Ran fast and hard, but no quality in the final third. Showed why he’s rarely trusted to start games, especially when teams give no space in behind.

Anthony Martial 2- Rasmus Hojlund will feel no threat for his place anytime soon. Anonymous display from the Frenchman and ideally, should be one of his last appearances for the club.

Substitutes:

Aaron Wan-Bissaka 6- Provided crucial thrust and overlap on the right when he came on. If he keeps up the encouraging signs, it will be a huge boost to United.

Sofyan Amrabat 3- In competition with Casemiro to see which defensive midfielder is in worse form. Dispossessed for Newcastle’s third.

Rasmus Hojlund 6- He’s the crowd favourite at least but the predicament he finds himself in is too much for his 20-year-old shoulders.

Marcus Rashford 5- Body language is a perennial problem with him. No attacking impact or impetus after coming on.

Bruno Fernandes 5- Missed a good chance to at least open United’s account but nothing going right for the United captain right now.

MANAGER ERIK TEN HAG 2: The losses are piling up, and the excuses are shrinking. Newcastle walked to Old Trafford with second-stringers and had United feeling dizzy. Doesn’t get one because at least there was rotation in the starting XI. Otherwise, there’s no structure and identity to United’s play at the moment. The clock is ticking now.

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Both wingers — Marcus Rashford and Antony were poor while Rasmus Hojlund needs more support. It is pretty evident that Erik ten Hag needs more firepower up front.

The Mancunian, last season’s top scorer, has only one goal under his belt this term with United the lowest scorers among the top 10 teams in the Premier League.

United’s goalscoring woes

Backup striker Anthony Martial has mainly been used from the bench and he has one goal to his name thus far, while he has failed to impress with most of his cameos.

He still looks uninterested most of the time while he looks to be lacking in match sharpness as a result of the lack of minutes thus far.

There were reports that the Frenchman was up for sale in the summer but nothing materialised and as per TeamTalk, he might not be sold in January either.

United’s financial woes are well known at this point and with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority stake offer yet to be ratified, the only way the club can afford to sign players during the winter transfer window is by selling their stars.

But as Maguire has proved recently, a resurgence in form is possible and the France international could end up staying for the entirety of this season.

“Anthony Martial is aiming to avoid a January exit from Manchester United and is unlikely to be forced out of the club, TEAMtalk understands.

Martial to survive yet another window?

“Sources around the club are indicating that there is very much a determination to stick around though and that Harry Maguire’s redemption arc provides fresh motivation for how quickly a situation can turn around.

“Martial’s position in the front line could ultimately turn out to be helped by that financial situation too. United do not currently have concrete plans to recruit an attacker either.”

Martial’s wages and his poor injury record are another major factor why a permanent departure in January is unlikely.

For United’s sake, hopefully, the former Monaco starlet can rediscover his mojo and plunder a few goals between now and the end of the season. Ten Hag can certainly do with some additional goals.

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United had scored the lowest goals among the top-six teams, and the manager wanted to bring in a striker in the summer and after a complicated chase, in came Rasmus Hojlund.

The Dane has already scored thrice in the Champions League. Still, he has yet to open his account in the Premier League, with the Denmark international yet to adjust to the pace and physicality of the English league.

Ten Hag did not want to put too much pressure on his young shoulders in his debut campaign and hence asked for another powerhouse striker but the club failed to back the manager.

United have struggled to score this season

Marcus Rashford was the team’s top scorer last season with 30 and was the only player to score double-digit goals in the league. But he is struggling to replicate that form in the current campaign, scoring just once so far.

His initial foray as the lone striker did not work out while Anthony Martial has fared little better. Following Hojlund’s arrival, the Frenchman has had to be satisfied with a place on the bench.

And this does not look like changing as the France international looks lazy and his injury record means Ten Hag cannot trust him when the chips are down.

Martial scored nine times last season but he was hardly ever available for a run of games and Ten Hag was open to his sale in the summer.

The United No 9 is said to be unhappy with the amount of minutes he has got so far and wants to move to a place where he can be a guaranteed starter.

Saudi Arabia does not interest him but there is plenty of interest while going back to France also remains an option. But his massive wages could pose a problem.

As per Football Insider, three offers are on the table and a January exit could be on the cards. United would use that cash to strengthen the squad.

The 27-year-old’s United deal expires next summer but United have the option of triggering a one-year extension and they could do it to protect his market value.

United look to sell Martial in January

“Man United now feel the time is right for long-serving striker Anthony Martial to leave the club, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed the Red Devils have multiple options on the table as they look to rectify the 27-year-old’s future.

“The Old Trafford club have the option to extend his deal by a further 12 months. It is believed they could activate that option to protect his value, before searching for potential suitors in 2024.

“A well-placed source has told Football Insider that Martial could be sold in the upcoming January window or next summer.”

Bought for €60 million back in 2015, the forward has remained a fan favourite but has shown his undeniable talent only in spurts.

His current market value stands at €15 million as per Transfermarkt. United would do well to earn more than that.

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Football Insider reveals that Martial is not satisfied with the current situation, in which Rasmus Hojlund is the primary starter and he is the number two.

It’s understood that Martial is keen on becoming the main man at this stage of his career.

There were clubs interested in signing the Frenchman this summer, but nothing materialized.

The 27-year-old’s current deal with United expires in June 2024. However, Erik ten Hag has the option of triggering a one-year extension to keep the forward at the club until 2025.

So far this season, Martial has made a total of nine appearances across all competitions.

He has played six times in the Premier League, managing a total of 190 minutes or averaging 32 minutes per appearance.

The France international has only started two games, with Ten Hag clearly preferring to deploy the more mobile and physical Hojlund.

At times, it has even fallen on Marcus Rashford to lead the line – a position the Englishman has struggled in – although this was at a time when Martial was not fully fit.

Ten Hag’s preference for Hojlund can partly be explained by Martial’s unreliability, especially last season.

Last term, Martial missed 33 games due to different injuries. He was constantly in and out of the team and it was clear the Red Devils needed something different in the form of a more consistent and fitter goalscorer.

Ten Hag subsequently sanctioned a £64 million move for Hojlund who was contracted to Atalanta. The Dane has started well in England.

Despite not having opened his goalscoring account in the Premier League, the 20-year-old tops the charts in the Champions League with three goals.

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While the defence has been criticised in the Champions League, it is the forwards who have failed to bail out the team in the Premier League.

Rasmus Hojlund now has three goals in the Champions League but is yet to open his account in the Premier League.

Last season, Marcus Rashford could do no wrong and was the team’s top scorer. This season he has managed only one goal so far.

United’s struggle for goals and a reliable goalscorer

United’s No 9, Anthony Martial, has once again remained a peripheral figure, a line that pretty much sums up his United career.

He manages to show his worth in a few games then an injury strikes, and he gets mainly used as an impact substitute who has very little impact.

Ten Hag was impressed when he first arrived with the Frenchman’s application during pre-season and decided against moving him on, feeling he could get the most out of the former Monaco starlet.

In the end, Martial started only 17 times and managed nine goals and three assists, not too bad a return but he never produced a match-winning goal.

And this season, Martial has started only twice and managed one goal in the Carabao Cup and it does not look like he will usurp Hojlund anytime soon.

The French international was supposed to be the next big thing when he arrived and while fans have sung his iconic song from the terraces, he has hardly ever repaid the club or the fan’s faith.

No major club came forward for him during the summer transfer window even though United were open to his departure.

Saudi Arabia to target Martial next summer, United must oblige

A mix of his high wages and poor injury record means not too many clubs are willing to take a chance on him.

This is where Saudi Arabia comes in and as per Fichajes, clubs from the Saudi Pro League will try and sign him next summer. The player, himself, would prefer a return to his homeland but Saudi can pay him a much higher wage.

“Despite rejecting Saudi offers this summer, Martial’s inconsistency and injuries make him vulnerable. A return to Ligue 1 could be an option, but Saudi Arabia’s financial offers could be too tempting,” the report mentioned.

Bought for €60 million in 2015, the 27-year-old’s market value currently stands at €15 million as per Transfermarkt. United would do well to earn more than that.

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