Manchester United are reportedly preparing to hold contract discussions with Anthony Martial.
The 26-year-old finished the 2021-22 campaign on loan at Sevilla, and he had widely been expected to leave Old Trafford during this summer's transfer window.
However, the France international impressed for the Red Devils during their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, with the forward making a big impression on the club's new head coach Erik ten Hag.
Martial was in line to start the season as the team's number one striker, but he was absent from the first two games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford due to a hamstring issue.
The attacker featured off the bench against Liverpool last Monday, providing an assist for Marcus Rashford, and he had been been in line to start at Southampton on Saturday afternoon.
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Martial was ultimately ruled out of the clash with the Saints due to an Achilles issue, but he could return for the team's next game against Leicester City on September 1.
"Pre-season, he did really good, I was really happy with his contribution and that's why I brought him in [against Liverpool], you can see what impact he can have on our game," Ten Hag told reporters ahead of the Southampton clash, which Man United won 1-0.
"So, definitely [we miss him]. But we have other players also who can play in that role and will do well. I never talk about players who are not available, we have to do it with the players who are there."
Martial's existing deal at Old Trafford is due to expire in June 2024, but according to The Sun, the Red Devils are preparing to open talks with the attacker over an extension.
The report claims that the Frenchman has made a huge impression on Ten Hag since his arrival, with the Dutchman viewing him as an important part of his plans moving forward.
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Martial has represented Man United on 270 occasions since his arrival from Monaco in 2015, scoring 79 times in all competitions, in addition to contributing 51 assists.
The attacker largely played off the left in the early stages of his career at Old Trafford, but he impressed as a centre-forward in 2019-20, scoring 23 goals and registering 12 assists in 48 outings.
Martial only managed four Premier League goals during the 2020-21 season, though, while he struck just one league goal in the first half of last term before joining Sevilla.
The Frenchman also found it difficult to impress at Estadio Ramon, managing just one goal and one assist in 12 appearances, with the Spanish side turning down the chance to sign him on a permanent deal.
Man United started their Premier League campaign with back-to-back losses to Brighton and Brentford but have now won their last two against Liverpool and Southampton to move onto six points.
Matt Law
