Manchester United are set to push Anthony Martial closer to the exit by fining him for his pre-season absence.
Martial jetted back to France midway through the tour for the birth of his second child.
The forward, who earns £90,000 a week, will be hit in the pocket with a two-week fine having not returned for the final two games of the tour.
The sensational move from United will likely push Martial closer to the exit with Jose Mourinho keen to sell him for £70m.
United do not believe Martial – who wants to quit the Reds – has trained for the past eight days since leaving the tour.
Mourinho wants to offload Martial, after coming to the conclusion the 22-year-old forward is simply not mentally strong enough to play under him.
But United are struggling to sign a replacement for Martial before the Premier League transfer window closes on August 9, with Inter Milan and Croatia star Ivan Perisic having emerged as Mourinho’s top target
Jose Mourinho claimed he does not know if Anthony Martial will return to Manchester United as doubts grow over the disgruntled forward’s future at Old Trafford.
Martial left the club’s pre-season tour of the United States to attend the birth of his second child in Paris, but the France international did not re-join his team-mates in the USA.
The 22-year-old, who has been strongly linked with a move away after his agent claimed Martial wanted to leave for more opportunities, was absent from United’s 2-1 International Champions Cup win over Real Madrid on Tuesday.
His agent claimed that he, Martial, is looking to leave Manchester United after three seasons at Old Trafford. Martial moved to Old Trafford from Monaco in 2015 and made an instant impact in his debut season under Louis van Gaal with 11 goals in 31 Premier League games.
The forward, however, has found a starting spot hard to come by with Jose Mourinho on the bench, with 12 of his 30 league appearances in 2017-18 coming off the bench. And while Martial’s agent Philippe Lamboley assures that United are keen to keep him at the club, he feels the time is right for a change.
“After considering all possibilities and options, Anthony wants to leave Manchester United,” Lamboley explained to RMC Sport .
“There are many reasons, for now it is too early to discuss it. Anthony will talk soon to go through that.
“Man United want to extend Anthony’s deal and they do not want him to leave, but we have not come to an agreement for several months. I think that when Man United, who are the most powerful club, cannot come to an agreement after eight months it is because they really don’t want to make him a key player.
“The decision is related to that. It is a decision that has been thought through thoroughly. However, it is important to remember that he is under contract, Man United have the last word and we will respect the club’s decision.”
As United prepare to return to Europe ahead of their Premier League opener against Leicester City on August 10, manager Mourinho refused to give any assurances that Martial will return.
Asked whether Martial would link up with United, Mourinho said: “Anthony Martial? Is better for [press officer] Karen [Shotbolt] to answer if she wants to answer.”
United press officer Shotbolt responded: “We’re here to talk about the game.” Press further on Martial, Mourinho replied: “I don’t know.” Mourinho was speaking after United held on to beat Champions League holders Madrid in Miami. Alexis Sanchez scored his second goal in three matches to open the scoring before teeing up Ander Herrera in a sublime team move prior to the interval.
Madrid star Karim Benzema found the back of the net in first-half stoppage time and Madrid completely dominated in the second period, however, the Red Devils managed to end their US tour on a winning note.
“With the fantastic spirit we have in the majority of the players, I repeat: in the majority of the players, we have a fantastic spirit, we go with everything we have to the Premier League,” Mourinho said.
“In relation to the match [against Real Madrid], the match doesn’t change anything,” Mourinho added. “My professional players were amazing all pre-season because they know we play against good teams, against good opponents. We have just a few players here, lots of kids, our kids are really, really young because the team of all the ones in the Under-23s were relegated, the team went to the second division.
“So the game today, win 2-1, lose 2-1, draw 2-2, doesn’t change anything but of course I know the players I can count on, these guys are amazing professionals, they give everything for the club, for the prestige of the club, is not nice to come here and lose 5 or 6-1 versus Real Madrid today and they were phenomenal.”
Tottenham and Chelsea have both been linked with the attacker from the Premier League, while Marseille and Bayern Munich also hold an interest.