Anthony Martial to Everton? Now I've Seen Everything...

Everton Knocking on Martial’s Door in Bizarre Free Agent Move

You all remember Anthony Martial - Martin Tyler’s iconic “Ohhhh YEESSSSS. Welcome to the Premier League Anthony Martial!” call, the flashes of brilliance accompanied by flashes of a whole lot of average, and a Ballon d’Or clause that perhaps predictably was never fulfilled.

Well, the former Manchester United man may have dropped off your radar in recent season, having spent the last two years at AEK Athens and Mexican side Monterrey respectively, but now it appears he is back on the radar of the Premier League, with David Moyes’s Everton particularly interested in the Frenchman, according to Indy Kaila.

Foot Mercato report that Everton have tested the waters with Anthony Martial. He's waiting for the right project before deciding his next move. https://t.co/pAxn2qscx2 pic.twitter.com/PxaZaJbvOL

— Sean Lunt (@Sean_Lunt) September 8, 2026

Toffee’s Striker Search Takes Strange Turn

Everton are currently on the search for a second striker option, as due to some Folarin Balogun related shenanigans on deadline day, the Toffee’s have been left with Thierno Barry as their only recognised centre forward, as they had let Beto go to Fiorentina earlier in the day.

With the window closed, any fee-paying deal would have to wait until January, but free agents are eligible to join up with a Premier League side at any given team, meaning that players currently without a club are still viable options to sign.

Martial falls into this bracket, having been released by Monterrey back in June, and though little to no interest was shown in him during the window, it seems Everton will be forced into extreme measures.

The now 30-year-old was once seen as one of world football's brightest young prospects, highlighted by his £40 million move to Old Trafford in the summer of 2022. After his stupendous goal at Anfield on debut, everyone believed the hype. However, that was arguably his highest point in a United jersey.

In nine years at the Red Devils, Martial scored 90 goals for the club, 63 in the Premier League, and six of these came against Everton, making them his favourite top flight opponents.

So it is understandable why Everton would be taking in interest in the conflicted striker - they witnessed enough of his brilliance against their side to know that he certainly has the ability to make a difference for them.

However, there is a reason why Martial hasn’t played in a top five European league for two years - his ability to tap into his ability waned significantly towards the end of his tenure at United, and his spells abroad haven’t exactly illustrated a star waiting for his next big move.

In Greece he did… average, netting nine goals in 24 games, but clearly he didn’t offer Athens enough, or else they wouldn’t have released him after 12 months. The clearesy indication that Martial is past it, however, came across 2026 with Monterrey.

Yes, the Mexican league is a fairly physical one, but it’s quality is nowhere near on par with its European counterparts, so Martial should have had a productive stint in central America, right?

Wrong - the winger-cum-striker scored just once in 20 games as Monterrey finished fifth in the Apertura, despite being one of the biggest sides in the country, and expected to be a significant presence in the title race.

It is clear that Martial has the ability to operate in the Premier League, but his mentality while at United was a constant issue, and his form since leaving them suggests that it has only gotten worse.

However, despite Martial’s seemingly perpetual regression, Everton may be forced into signing the forward anyway - what happens if Barry gets a long-term injury? Suddenly David Moyes would be faced with playing Keiran Dewsbury-Hall, Jack Grealish or Ainsley Maitland-Niles up front, none of which would be effective options if they are to realise their dreams as European outsiders.

Sources stating Anthony Martial would happily move to Everton. It’s the wages that are causing issues.

— indykaila News (@indykaila) September 8, 2026

According to Indy Kaila, Martial would be happy to move to Everton, but his wage demands are currently a sticking point - as a player who formerly had a Ballon d’Or clause in his contract, the Frenchman certainly got used to astronomical wages in the prime of his career, but it seems that he hasn’t recognised the fact that recently, he hasn’t done anything to command them.

Everton must be careful - the last thing they need is to be rinsed by a moody, out-of-form, demanding player who may not even improve the side. If they can strike a reasonable deal, then by all means go for it, as it will mean adding vital squad depth.

They must, however, be aware that with Martial, things tend to go wrong rather quickly, and quite irreversibly when they do.