Emmanuel Petit believes Anthony Martial needs to take a hard look ‘in the mirror’ and question his commitment to continuing his soccer career.
Martial is currently without a club after his contract with Manchester United expired in July.
The 28-year-old departed from Old Trafford after spending nine years with the club, joining from Monaco in 2015. During his time at United, Martial made 317 appearances in all competitions, scoring 90 goals and providing 47 assists while winning several trophies including the FA Cup, EFL Cup, Europa League, and Community Shield.
However, Martial has been plagued by fitness issues and according to Transfermarkt, missed 94 matches due to injuries during his time at Manchester United and on loan at Sevilla in the latter half of the 2021/22 season.
Despite his talent and experience, Martial has been linked with multiple clubs during the summer transfer window.
Most recently, a potential move to Brazilian club Flamengo fell through due to differences in salary demands.
Petit raises concerns about the ‘desire’ of former Man Utd star Anthony Martial
Former French international Petit, who had spells in the Premier League with Arsenal and Chelsea, expressed surprise at Martial’s inability to secure a new club, pointing fingers at Manchester United for his recent struggles.
“I can’t remember the last time he was a proper footballer on the pitch, producing good performances,” Petit told talkSPORT.
“He’s been riddled with so many injuries in the last few years. But when you look at the stability at Manchester United, I’m not surprised a lot of players suffer from that. Managers and fans as well. He’s not the only one.
“But he’s getting lost in transition actually. I cannot understand why this guy, even if he wasn’t that good for the last few years, when he arrives at the end of his contract, he has no proposition. For me, this is a mystery.”
The longer Martial remains without a club, the more challenging it will be for him to regain full fitness and reach his peak performance levels.
Petit is questioning whether Martial still possesses the ‘desire’ to continue his soccer career, implying that serious self-reflection is necessary before making his next move.
“Maybe he should ask himself this question, does he have the desire to keep on going with his career?” Petit added.
“Because I have the feeling that the last few years was very difficult for him on and off the pitch.
“It’s quite difficult to get a good mind coming in every morning at the training ground and try to give your best all the time because you have a problem in your life, you have a problem in the dressing room, you have problems everywhere.
“So, if I was Anthony Martial, I would ask myself the question in the mirror. Do I still want to be a professional footballer?”
