"He needs to be a regular" - Rio Ferdinand reveals where Manchester United loanee can improve to recapture best form

Manchester United have confirmed that French attacker Anthony Martial has joined La Liga outfit Sevilla on loan until the end of the season. Former Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand has aired his opinion on the transfer, claiming it was the right move for both parties.

It was obvious that Martial was surplus to requirements at Manchester United in the first half of the term as he started just four games across all competitions. Rio Ferdinand believes the player's situation will change for good at Sevilla as he will get the opportunity to play regularly.

“I think Anthony Martial needs this. He needs to play first-team football, he needs to be a regular, he needs to start playing on a regular basis now on a consistent level.

“For the last year or so, even longer maybe, he hasn’t been a regular and he’s needed this move," the legendary centre-back said on his Vibe with Five channel.

The Englishman also named Donny van de Beek and Jesse Lingard among the players who could follow in Martial's footsteps in leaving Old Trafford in the near future.

“I’m interested to see who else goes. You’ve probably got Donny van de Beek probably gonna go somewhere – interested to see where he goes. The same with Jesse Lingard – my head would say to me Newcastle – but these are players that need to go out and play football and Martial is one of them.

“He showed glimpses throughout his career at Man Utd where you think, ‘Wow, this kid could be ultra-special’. But then there’s been times where he’s been under-whelming and you thought, ‘This isn’t good enough’.

“Hopefully he improves [on loan] and it frees up a bit of space for Man Utd to go and get someone else,” he added.

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The attacker has scored one goal for the Red Devils this season

Anthony Martial's overall stats for Manchester United

The Frenchman joined Manchester United from Monaco in a deal worth €60 million in the summer of 2015. Overall, he's made 269 appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions, recording 79 goals and 50 assists to his name.

The Frenchman will be looking to bounce back in Seville after enduring a torrid spell at Old Trafford over the last couple of months. It remains to be seen how he'll fare with the Liga club.