Erik ten Hag insists Man Utd are NOT aiming to sell Anthony Martial in January transfer window despite French forward's miserable start to the season

Despite Martial's struggles in front of goal, scoring only once in 13 Premier League appearances, the United manager has revealed that the club want to keep hold of the French forward until at least the end of the season. The former Monaco star has missed United's last three games with an unknown "illness" which further fuelled speculation about his future at Old Trafford.

When asked about a potential sale before his team's 3-2 win against Aston Villa on Tuesday, Ten Hag quashed those rumours and told reporters: "When we have news, then of course I will tell it. But that is not our aim."

Martial, 28, was reportedly available for transfer in the summer but chose to remain at Old Trafford for the final year of his contract, rejecting interest from clubs like West Ham and Fenerbahce. In fact, he could end up staying in Manchester for another campaign as Ten Hag has suggested talks are ongoing for contract extensions with Martial, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Hannibal Mejbri, as the club holds the option to extend their deals by an additional year.

Martial has played just 137 passes in 13 matches in close to 450 minutes of Premier League action this season. His only other goal of the campaign came in a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.

It has been reported that United must consult INEOS on every major football decision, especially regarding transfers, with the Premier League in the process of ratifying Sir Jim Ratcliffe's purchase of a 25 percent stake in the club. Hence, Martial's future rests in the hands of Ratcliffe, who has vowed to bring back the glory days at Old Trafford and take the side to the"very top of world football".