Glazer-backed Martial exits Monterrey a year early after turbulent post-United career

Anthony Martial is a free agent after Monterrey agreed to terminate his contract ahead of schedule, ending a turbulent stint in Liga MX that saw the 30-year-old frozen out of the squad for the club’s final five matches of the season.

The former Manchester United striker had been contracted to the Mexican side until 2027, with an option for a further year, but reports indicate the two parties have mutually agreed to cut ties early. Martial managed one goal and three assists across 20 appearances, with his time at Monterrey derailed by a dislocated shoulder sustained in February and a reported falling-out with the coaching staff after he reacted angrily to being left on the bench during a 3-2 defeat to Chivas de Guadalajara.

The news brings renewed attention to Martial’s complicated relationship with Old Trafford — and specifically with United co-owner Joel Glazer. Sources have long claimed that Glazer regarded Martial as his favourite player and was reportedly convinced the Frenchman was United’s answer to Pelé, a level of faith that led him to veto at least two attempted sales between 2017 and 2020.

Jose Mourinho was among those who tried to move Martial on before his own dismissal in December 2018, only to be overruled. In January 2019, United announced Martial had signed a new contract keeping him at the club until June 2024, with an option for an additional year — a deal Glazer was said to have pushed for.

Martial had arrived at Old Trafford from Monaco for £36 million in 2015 and showed considerable early promise, netting 17 goals under Louis van Gaal and contributing to the club’s FA Cup triumph. He reached double figures for goals in four of his first five seasons, but his form and fitness deteriorated sharply in his later years at the club.

A loan move to Sevilla in January 2022 yielded just 12 appearances before he returned to Manchester. He eventually left United permanently in September 2024, having scored 90 goals in 317 appearances, signing for Greek side AEK Athens. After a single season in Athens, he moved to Monterrey — a spell that has now also ended prematurely.

Martial’s exit from Monterrey leaves him without a club and searching for a fourth employer in three years, a far cry from the heights Glazer once envisioned for him.