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What's the story?
According to The Times, Jose Mourinho wanted to sell Anthony Martial during his time as Manchester United manager. The Frenchman was deemed 'mentally weak' and too sulky by the Portuguese manager.
In case you didn't know...
Anthony Martial joined Manchester United for £36 million (rising up to £58 million) from AS Monaco in 2015 and instantly became a fan favourite among the Old Trafford faithful after scoring a brilliant solo against arch-rivals Liverpool on his debut game.
The Frenchman has played 116 league games since making the switch, scoring 36 goals in the process. He helped the club win four trophies thus far, including one FA Cup and one Europa League.
On the other hand, Jose Mourinho managed the Red Devils for 144 games between 2016 and 2018. The 56-year-old won one EFL Cup, one Community Shield and one UEFA Europa League, while in-charge of the Manchester-based club.
The heart of the matter
According to the report, Jose Mourinho wanted to sell Anthony Martial because he thought the Frenchman was 'mentally weak' and too sulky. The Portuguese was keen to show Martial the exit door and replace him with Ivan Perisic, who was with Inter Milan at that time.
However, Ed Woodward stepped in between and decided against selling the former Monaco attacker as he regarded him as an important player for the future.
Martial and Mourinho reportedly had a constrained relationship and the Portuguese manager often kept him out of the squad in favour of Marcos Rashford and Romelu Lukaku.
What's next?
Martial has been in a brilliant form since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's arrival at the club and has established himself as an important member of the squad. He already scored two goals in three Premier League games this season but is in a doubt for the Red Devils' next league fixture against Southampton after picking up a thigh injury against Crystal Palace last week.
