Monterrey release Martial after training ban, leaving him a free agent for the third time in three years

Anthony Martial is without a club for the third time in three years after Monterrey terminated his contract by mutual consent, the Mexican side confirming his departure following a turbulent seven-month spell that ended in a training-ground ban.

The 30-year-old French forward had signed a two-year deal with the option of a further 12 months when he joined Monterrey last September, but managed only one goal and three assists in 20 appearances before the club cut ties. His exit leaves him searching for a seventh club in his career.

Martial’s time in Liga MX unravelled rapidly in the final weeks of the season. A dislocated shoulder sustained in February — which forced him off on a stretcher during a 1-0 win over Club Leon — disrupted his rhythm, and his last appearance came on 18 March against Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where he played 60 minutes before being substituted.

The decisive flashpoint came later that month during Monterrey’s 3-2 defeat by Chivas de Guadalajara. According to Mexican outlet TUDN, Martial grew furious when 20-year-old Joaquin Moxica was brought on as a substitute in the 74th minute while the side trailed 3-0, with Martial remaining unused on the bench. He reportedly lost his temper with manager Nicolas Sanchez and was subsequently banned from training with the first-team group for the remainder of that week. He was then omitted from Monterrey’s squad for their final five matches of the season before his release was confirmed.

It marks another difficult chapter for a player who once appeared destined for the very top of the game. Martial arrived at Manchester United from Monaco in 2015 for £36 million, scored on his debut as a substitute against Liverpool, and went on to register 17 goals across his first season at Old Trafford. He reached double figures in four of his opening five Premier League campaigns and hit a career-high 23 goals in 48 matches during the 2019/20 season.

His United career gradually faded, however, and he left the club in 2024 as a free agent. A subsequent move to AEK Athens in the Greek Super League yielded nine goals in 24 games before he departed for Monterrey — and now that chapter, too, has closed. Martial is a free agent once more, with no confirmed interest from any club at this stage.