January 16, (THEWILL) – Anthony Martial has denied Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick’s accusation that he did not want to play in their match against Aston Villa on Saturday evening.
The Frenchman’s denial was posted on his Instagram account during a period of heavy speculation over the 26-year-old’s future at the club. It read: “I will never refuse to play a match for Manchester United. I’ve been here seven years and I never disrespected and will never disrespect the club and the fans.”
In the aftermath of the 2-2 draw, Rangnick was queried about Martial’s continued absence from the team, which saw the Villans come back from a 2-0 deficit thanks to goals from Jacob Ramsey and debutant Philippe Coutinho.
In his response, the German manager said: “He [Martial] didn’t want to be in the squad. He would have been in the squad normally but he didn’t want to and that was the reason why he didn’t travel with us.”
Under Rangnick, Martial had already fallen out of favour, and he has been linked with Newcastle United, Barcelona, and Sevilla in recent weeks. His contract runs until 2024, but this public spat appears to be pushing the French international closer to a departure from Old Trafford as he attempts to resurrect his stalled career.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
