According to journalist Ekrem Konur, Anthony Martial didn't want to leave Manchester United on Deadline Day because of Cristiano Ronaldo.
What's the latest transfer news involving Anthony Martial?
It was reported on Deadline Day that Lyon had failed in an attempt to re-sign the 27-cap French forward on loan having contacted his entourage.
Martial originally rose through the ranks at the Ligue 1 club before moving to Monaco, where he was subsequently snapped up by the Red Devils in summer 2015.
But the 25-year-old didn't want to re-sign for his former club and Konur has now revealed the reason why.
What has Ekrem Konur said about Martial's failed move?
Taking to Twitter on Wednesday morning, Konur claimed that Martial snubbed the French side because he wants to play alongside Ronaldo.
The journalist told his followers: "Hours before the transfer closes, Lyon wanted to sign Anthony Martial. However, Martial did not leave Manchester United as he wanted to play for the same team as Cristiano Ronaldo."
Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford this summer, with the move being officially completed on Deadline Day.
It's believed United have paid an initial £12.9m to re-sign the Portuguese and agreed a further £6.9m in potential add-ons.
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Has Martial made a mistake?
Quite possibly. While he may well enjoy the prestige of playing for the same club as Ronaldo, the former Real Madrid star is probably going to limit his game-time this season.
Martial's only start this term came in the centre-forward position during the 1-1 draw with Southampton and he struggled to have much impact on the game.
But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already confirmed he currently sees Ronaldo as an out-and-out striker, so the two could well be in direct competition for a starting role.
Martial would surely miss out to Ronaldo more often than not considering his status as arguably the best player of all time.
The Frenchman can also operate on the wing, but Solskjaer has only actually played him there on 22 occasions compared to 83 up front.
What are Martial's stats at Man United?
Martial has returned 78 goals and 50 assists in 261 appearances for the Red Devils, which is by no means a poor return considering he joined the club as a youngster.
However, just 16 of those goal involvements have come since the start of last season, with Martial netting only three times so far in 2021.
His form has taken a noteworthy downturn, which only compounds the suspicion that he'll be well below Ronaldo in the pecking order this year.
Perhaps re-establishing himself on loan at Lyon would have been the wiser option.