Martial's lucrative Man Utd bonus clause speaks volumes after Ten Hag demand

The curious case of Anthony Martial.

The Frenchman, who joined Manchester United for a staggering £36million rising to £58m back in 2015, making him the most expensive teenager in the world at the time, was expected to set the world alight at Old Trafford.

And his perfect start suggested he'd do exactly that when he netted in Man United's 3-1 win over bitter rivals Liverpool in 2015. But his time at Old Trafford has been far from a successful one, culminating in the now 26-year-old being loaned out to Sevilla last season, where he again failed to impress in La Liga.

Man United were criticised for spending what many considered to be an inflated fee for the teenager back in 2015 - a deal that was packed with some intriguing bonus clauses.

Among the usual appearance and goal-related bonuses was one that suggested both United and Monaco had incredibly high hopes for Martial - a £7.2m payout if the Frenchman won the Ballon d'Or before 2019.

Obviously, Martial didn't come close to the accolade, but the bonus says a lot about how much potential the forward clearly still possesses, despite his poor form in recent seasons.

Martial recently spoke to the press following his time in Sevilla, where he explained he would be returning to Man United and called on new boss Erik ten Hag to give him a chance to prove his worth.

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"Now I feel very well. I was able to recover from the injury, which was a complicated injury that required a reasonable recovery time, but now I'm much better. I have been very careful to be able to return and be available to the team as soon as possible, which is why I decided to come to Sevilla," Martial told ABC Sevilla.

"I'm working on it [to show his best version from now until the end of the season]. I came to be able to enjoy football again after a long time without playing. I know I can be at a higher level, and I work for it, but first, the injury, then the adaptation to a new club and a new city, it has been difficult for me because of the language barrier.

"It is very complicated to be able to continue at Sevilla. I'm not worried about that right now. I came knowing that it would be six months and then I would surely have to return to Manchester United.

"I'm very happy with the experience of playing in a new club, as big as Sevilla and having minutes again. If we manage to be a top-four team, we will have achieved the goal and I will be happy for the fans, who have been very good to me since I arrived."

It is currently unclear whether Martial is a part of Ten Hag's plans for the new season or if the Frenchman will be looking for a new permanent home before the new season begins.

If Ten Hag does consider him a viable option and can unlock his potential then his return from Sevilla could have the same impact as a new signing for the club.