Ten Hag ‘blocks’ Man Utd transfer exit as outcast set for a key role this season

Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag wants Anthony Martial as a key part of his squad this season despite the club’s initial plans to sell him, according to reports.

The France international spent the second half of last season out on loan at Spanish side Sevilla after falling out of favour under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

However, the Red Devils are a bit short on forwards currently with Mason Greenwood suspended from the club and Cristiano Ronaldo missing their pre-season tour because of ‘family reasons’.

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That has given Martial an opportunity to impress Ten Hag with the 26-year-old scoring a goal in each of their first three pre-season fixtures against Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace.

And now The Sun claims that Ten Hag has ‘blocked the sale’ of Martial this summer following his fine performances in pre-season and now sees him ‘as an important member of his squad’.

Man Utd ‘were ready to listen to offers’ for the Frenchman but Ten Hag has ‘told club chiefs he wants to keep him and is convinced he can get him firing again’.

Ten Hag had a ‘heart-to-heart’ chat with Martial when he arrived at Man Utd and the former Monaco forward now has a ‘spring in his step having been given this massive vote of confidence by Ten Hag’.

With the future of Ronaldo – who has reportedly asked to leave the club this summer – still up in the air, Martial has been playing as the club’s main striker rather than out wide and that could be his long-term role under Ten Hag.

Donny van de Beek was an outcast last season like Martial with the Dutchman sent on loan to Everton to get game time in the second half of the season.

But Ten Hag thinks he can get the best out of the Man Utd midfielder, who he worked with previously at Ajax, and he is waiting for his compatriot to show him he deserves a place in the starting XI.

Ten Hag recently said: “Donny has the capability. I have seen it but he has to prove himself. It’s the same for every player, he has to do it by himself.

“Me as a manager and the coaching staff around him can do everything to set the right conditions so he can perform but in the end the player has to do it by himself.

“They have to take responsibility for their performance.”