Manchester United tell Anthony Martial the only way he can leave

Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has made it clear that Anthony Martial will only be allowed to leave if it suits the interests of the club. The French forward has informed the club of his desire to leave and held talks with the German coach earlier this month.

Martial has struggled to break into the starting XI at United this season, and has made just four starts in all competitions. The France international has played a total of 359 minutes of first team football since the start of the campaign, which has seen him make it clear to the club that he wants to seek pastures new in January.

"We spoke at length on Wednesday," Rangnick said, as quoted on Sky Sports News. "He explained to me he's been at Manchester United now for the last seven years and he feels it's the right time for a change, to go somewhere else."

"I think in a way this is understandable, I could follow his thoughts but on the other hand, it's also important to see the situation of the club."

The 26-year-old joined United from Monaco in 2015 for an initial fee of £36 million, which then made him the most expensive teenager in world football. He has failed to live up to his potential, owing to minor injuries and a lack of regular game time under various managers that have walked through the doors at Old Trafford.

Martial is now keen to leave, with Sevilla said to be leading the race for his signature. Serie A giants Juventus are also in the market for a forward and have identified the Frenchman as a potential target.

However, Rangnick confirmed that no club has yet made a concrete offer to sign Martial, and insists that unless a satisfactory offer arrives, the former Monaco forward will remain in Manchester at least until the end of the ongoing campaign.

"I told him listen, as long as there is no club showing interest in him, and it should not only be in the interest of the player it should also be in the interest of the club," the Red Devils boss added. "So far, as far as I know, there has been no offer from any other club and as long as this is the case he will stay."