Anthony Martial’s tenure at Manchester United ended in 2024 when his contract expired, leading to a free transfer.
The French striker signed with AEK Athens following the 2023-24 Premier League season and later joined Monterrey in Mexico in 2025.
While Martial had fans during his time at United, his inconsistency and injury struggles often limited his impact.
The former France international showed flashes of brilliance but often struggled to maintain a consistent level of play.
During an appearance on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Dalot noted why he viewed Martial as more exceptional than Rashford, highlighting a key point.
“Rashford has great potential,” he stated, “but I chose Anthony for the team because, in training, Anthony was different. He could do everything.”
Michael Carrick predicted Anthony Martial would win Ballon d’Or after his move to Manchester United
Anthony Martial joined Old Trafford from Monaco in 2015, as Michael Carrick’s impressive playing career was winding down.
Ferdinand mentioned that Carrick had high expectations for Martial, seeing him as a future candidate for the Ballon d’Or.
Reflecting on those early days, Dalot supported Carrick’s views, recalling, “In training, he could do things that made you want to stop the session. Those moments where you think, ‘Okay, let’s pause for a bit.’
“I remember Juan Mata also had those moments of brilliance.”
When he arrived at United, Martial was the most expensive teenager in football history, with the club paying £58 million to sign him from Monaco.