Diogo Dalot picks his hardest opponent in Manchester United training

Manchester United's Portuguese right-back Diogo Dalot picked out Anthony Martial as the toughest player he has faced during club training.

The Portuguese also understandably chose Lionel Messi as the toughest player he has faced in his career. Speaking to the club’s official website, Dalot said:

“I’m going to say, in training, Anthony Martial. And playing, I’m going to say probably [Lionel] Messi, when we played him at Barca.”

Martial is currently plying his trade at Sevilla on loan. He found his playing time at Manchester United reduced since the start of the season. He scored once in 11 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils this season.

He has, however, impressed since making the move. The Frenchman has scored once and assisted once in four appearances across competitions thus far for Sevilla.

The 26-year-old Frenchman is contracted at the club until the summer of 2024. Fans have long clamored for him to be sold, something that is expected to bear fruition in the upcoming summer.

Manchester United’s Anthony Martial set to prove detractors wrong with Sevilla spell?

It is of little surprise that Anthony Martial has immediately found his feet at Sevilla. The Frenchman is famously considered to be a confidence-based player. He needs the support of his teammates and the manager to succeed on a consistent basis. This is something former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer offered Martial, resulting in a 23-goal 2019-20 season that is still his best ever.

Regardless, Martial could still potentially make a return to his parent club considering the striking options at Manchester United. Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani are in the twilight of their careers with the latter expected to leave in the summer. Ronaldo himself has been linked recently with a summer move.

Additionally, the controversy surrounding Mason Greenwood means that the club has already lost a potential superstar permanently. Marcus Rashford’s best position is still unclear. He has also been underwhelming this season, although he is expected to strike form at some point in the coming months.

Regardless, Manchester United’s transition is set to continue for the time being. They can be expected to return with a new-look squad next season, and will need to count on several on-loan players as well. Whether Martial will be one of them will be decided in the coming time.