Former Manchester United star Anthony Martial has reportedly agreed to join Mexican giants Monterrey, having been given the green light by his club to travel for a medical.
Martial was released by Man United when his contract came to an end at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.
He joined Greek Super League outfit AEK Athens on a free transfer that summer but has since only chalked up 24 appearances for the club in all competitions – and is now on the verge of an exit after being left out of six successive matchday squads.
According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Monterrey and Martial have agreed terms and the Frenchman is set to join the Mexican club, subject to a successful medical.
His imminent move comes after fellow Mexican side Pumas pursued a move for the forward – but ultimately failed to strike a deal amid Martial’s reported refusal to lower his salary.
Martial, who joined the Red Devils for an initial £36million rising to £58m back in 2015, was reported to have signed the biggest contract in AEK Athens’ history when he put pen to paper with the Greek side last year.
Ex-Man United star Anthony Martial has reportedly agreed to join Mexican giants Monterrey
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The striker joined Greek outfit AEK Athens on a free transfer that summer but has since only chalked up 24 appearances for the club in all competitions – and is now on the verge of an exit
As claimed by journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Martial was targeted by Pumas throughout the summer but refused to budge on his hefty wage during negotiations.
It is not yet known what salary Martial will be on at Monterrey should the move go ahead.
‘AEK is willing to loan him to Pumas free of charge (they should only pay his salary), but Martial earns a gigantic salary, gigantic,’ Merlo said on his YouTube channel.
‘They’ve been talking to him for three or four days, but the player still hasn’t given in to his demands.
‘I’m not ruling him out 100 percent, but if he hasn’t budged in four days, I don’t see it being easy for him to move today.
‘The reality is that Pumas is trying to get Martial, but the player doesn’t want to budge even a euro. For now, neither Martial nor his agent have budged. If they do, there may be a chance, but we’ll have to wait and see.’
Martial’s imminent transfer to Monterrey comes seven months after Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos put pen to paper with the Mexican side.
The Frenchman will now team up with the 39-year-old World Cup winner, who so far has guided to the summit of the Liga MX standings after seven matches, with six wins and one defeat.
The move to Monterrey would see Martial team up with Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos (above)
Pumas, meanwhile, are 10th in the division after a mixed start of two wins, three draws and two losses.
Despite enduring a disappointing start to the season, Pumas do boast a handful of high-profile stars on their books, including ex-Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey and former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
