Anthony Martial Will Reportedly Stay at Manchester United Amid Exit Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly poised to keep Anthony Martial at the club this summer as they're struggling to secure a replacement for the Frenchman.

According to Richard Tanner of the Daily Mirror, while Martial is keen to leave Old Trafford this summer, the chances of him sticking around are increasing.

"With the summer transfer window closing on Thursday evening, United don't want to sell the Frenchman unless they can bring in a direct replacement—and moves to sign long-term targets Willian and Inter Milan's Croatia World Cup 2018 hero Ivan Perisic have stalled," Tanner added. "It's understood a swap deal with Chelsea for Willian was mooted."

United are said to have been against a swap deal given 22-year-old Martial is seven years Willian's junior. Meanwhile, the £80 million valuation the Red Devils have placed on their No. 11 is said to be putting off clubs 

It means Martial looks likely to still be a United player when the transfer window closes on Thursday despite the simmering tensions between himself and manager Jose Mourinho.

As Tanner noted, Mourinho is said to be unhappy with Martial after he failed to return to training on time following the birth of his second child. The manager is said to have fined the player two weeks wages, and Martial returned to training on Friday with United.

According to Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, the conduct of the player has been questionable:

Martial's standing in the squad is curious heading into the upcoming Premier League campaign, as he tumbled down the pecking order at United last term. 

After a bright beginning to the season, Martial's form suffered, and the arrival of Alexis Sanchez in January made minutes tougher to come by. In addition to the Chilean, Martial also has Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard for competition in the wide areas.

It's a frustrating situation for those associated with United, as the France international has showcased in the past that he can thrive in the Premier League. In his debut campaign at United, he scored 11 goals and grabbed four assists, lighting up the top flight.

Football writer Liam Canning said United face a dilemma as to whether Martial's natural talent offsets other factors:

It's difficult to see things being much better for Martial on the field this season than they were last. Sanchez has shone from the left flank in pre-season and will surely feature there in the early weeks of the campaign; while Martial can be deployed in other areas of the field, from the left he's most effective.

Still, United fans will be desperate to see more of the player that has torn up the Premier League in bursts. If Martial knuckles down and showcases that type of form, it would be impossible for Mourinho to leave him on the sidelines for long.