- A Greek Super League club has announced the surprise arrival of Martial
- The Frenchman has been a free agent since his contract with Man United expired
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Former Manchester United star Anthony Martial has made a surprise move to a European club.
The striker has been a free agent since leaving Manchester United last summer after his nine-year contract at Old Trafford expired.
But Greek giants AEK Athens have announced the arrival of the Frenchman, writing on X that the ‘magician is coming’.
They also announced that Martial will arrive at Venizelos airport at 8:40pm and that fans will welcome him there.
The 28-year-old Martial has previously been linked with a number of clubs, including Brazil’s Flamengo, but will now play in the Greek Super League.
Anthony Martial has completed a shock transfer to Greek side AEK Athens
Martial left Old Trafford in the summer at the end of his contract after nine years at the club
Martial, who has not played since December 9, 2023, is hoping to revive his career after a tough few seasons at Old Trafford where he struggled with both form and fitness.
SPORT24 previously reported that he exchanged the final documents with a contract for more than three years.
According to SPORT24, Martial is reportedly set to earn £2.5 million per season at AEK. If there had been no delay, the deal would have been announced on Monday night.
The deal, worth a total of £7.5 million including bonuses, is said to be the most lucrative in AEK’s history.
The three-year guarantee will have been compelling as Martial’s talks with Flamengo reportedly collapsed after he held on to the contract for so long.
Martial has been working hard to stay fit this past summer, posting a photo of himself on a stationary bike, on vacation with his family, and on a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France. He wrote on Instagram: “Thank you, Lord, for everything.”
He has been linked with a number of European clubs, including Lille, Atalanta, Marseille and Besiktas.
At AEK Athens he will team up with former Tottenham star Erik Lamely, former Watford players Roberto Pereyra and Nordin Amrabat and former Brentford goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.
Lamela is currently said to be the club’s highest earning player with a contract worth a reported €2million (£1.7million) per year.
AEK Athens have a handful of former Premier League stars in their current squad
Martial has been keeping fit over the summer and spending time with his family
Martial was regarded as one of the most exciting young players in the world when he joined United in 2015, but failed to live up to expectations – scoring 90 goals in 317 games
Despite AEK having looted the bank, Martial is set to take a significant pay cut compared to his Manchester United contract, having earned £250,000 a week at Old Trafford.
Martial failed to live up to expectations after establishing himself as one of the most promising prospects in world football when he joined Manchester United in 2015.
During his nine years at Old Trafford he played 317 games and scored 90 goals.
He made 19 appearances during his final season with the Red Devils, but has not played a single game since the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on 9 December.