"Could be a real turning point" - Noel Whelan tips 26-year-old to be a 'big player' for Manchester United

Former Premier League striker Noel Whelan has opined that forward Anthony Martial could re-ignite his Manchester United career via the ongoing pre-season.

He stated that manager Erik ten Hag would be pleased with his performances so far and that he needs to continue doing so.

Martial has had the roller coaster of a career at Old Trafford since his move from Monaco in 2015. He gradually grew into the team and had an exceptional 2019-20 season. He scored 23 goals and provided 12 assists in 48 matches in all competitions.

However, his form massively dipped post that and he was sent on loan to Sevilla in January 2021. He could only manage one goal and one assist in 12 matches for the Spanish side.

The 26-year-old, though, has been one of the stars for Manchester United in their three pre-season matches so far, scoring three goals.

Whelan believes this is a great opportunity for Martial to turn his career around. He told Football Insider's Ewan Kingsbury:

"This pre-season could be a real turning point for him. One door may have been shut under the previous managers, but that door has reopened under Ten Hag."

He added:

"It's now up to him to walk through it and show the manager that you are worthy of being a Man United player, and someone who is going to run themselves into the ground for the club. Not many of them did that last season."

Whelan claimed that Martial could be a "big player" for Manchester United in the upcoming season if he continues the hard work. He said:

"The door is massively open, and he's showing the attitude and mentality that you want from him – and Ten Hag will be happy with that. He could be a big player for Man United this season."

Manchester United currently don't have a plethora of options in attack. Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Elanga, Jadon Sancho and Martial are perhaps the only main attackers at Old Trafford.

Hence, it could be a great opportunity for the Frenchman to make a consistent impact for the club with reduced competition.

---

Nottingham Forest in 'advanced talks' to sign former Manchester United player

As per The Guardian, newly promoted Nottingham Forest are in 'advanced talks' with former Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard. The Tricky Trees are competing with West Ham United for his signature and have made a lucrative offer to the Englishman.

Lingard left Old Trafford last month after the expiration of his contract with the Red Devils. He has garnered interest from various other clubs like Everton, Leicester City and clubs in Major League Soccer and Saudi Arabia as well.

However, Forest are ready to go beyond their wage structure to offer Lingard his a salary of £180,000 per week, which he is demanding.

With the FIFA World Cup coming up later this year, the 29-year-old will hope to secure regular playing time which Nottingham will likely be able to offer him.