Anthony Martial Set to Join Málaga CF Amid Career Relaunch

Anthony Martial is poised to relaunch his career in one of European football’s more unlikely settings, with reports in France claiming he is close to signing for Málaga CF, currently 18th in La Liga.

The former Manchester United forward, now 30, has been a free agent since ending his spell with CF Monterrey. After months of uncertainty and speculation over his next move, the Frenchman appears ready to settle in Spain and gamble on a club fighting at the wrong end of the table rather than chase a final payday.

According to Foot Mercato, Martial rejected two approaches from Ligue 1 sides, despite the familiarity and comfort that a return to France might have offered. That choice alone says plenty about his mindset at this stage of his career: he wants a stage, not a safety net.

The offers did not stop in Europe. Libyan giants Al-Ittihad Tripoli, fresh from signing Moroccan winger Sofiane Boufal (32), pushed hard to lure Martial to North Africa. Their proposal was anything but modest.

Club officials are reported to have put an eye-watering package on the table: a net salary of 10 million euros over two years, plus a 5 million euro signing bonus. For a 30-year-old free agent coming off a difficult spell, it was the kind of deal that usually ends negotiations on the spot.

Martial said no.

He turned down the astronomical contract, choosing instead what is being framed as a “genuine sporting project” and, with it, the risk that comes from joining a struggling La Liga side rather than a financial powerhouse in a less competitive league.

If the move to Málaga is completed, it will not just be another transfer of a big name dropping down a level. It will be a test of whether Martial still has the edge, the hunger and the consistency that once made him one of Europe’s most exciting forwards—this time in a team fighting for survival rather than trophies.