David Moyes's side finished the transfer window without a senior striker after their move for Monaco's Folarin Balogun collapsed on deadline day and left them with just Thierno Barry as a recognised centre-forward, a hole that has deepened following the earlier sale of Beto to Fiorentina.
Free agents now represent one of the few routes left open to Everton with the window shut, and the 30-year-old Martial has emerged as a leading option.
The Frenchman has been without a club since leaving Mexican side CF Monterrey, where he managed a single goal and three assists from 20 appearances after joining on a two-year contract in 2025.
He spent nine years at Manchester United between 2015 and 2024, scoring 90 goals in 317 appearances across all competitions, before leaving Old Trafford as a free agent and moving to Greek club AEK Athens, who sold him on to Monterrey a year later. His wages of around €3.5 million a year in Mexico have reportedly already discouraged some potential suitors from pursuing a deal.
According to Foot Mercato, two unnamed Ligue 1 clubs — one from the top half of the table and another fighting relegation — have already made approaches, hoping to use his experience to help meet their respective objectives, but Martial turned both down because their directors could not guarantee him a prominent role. A separate club in the Champions League also made contact before withdrawing their interest. He is said to be training alone as he waits for the right project to revive his career.
Everton have reportedly "tested the waters" over whether Martial would consider a return to the Premier League, and as a free agent he can be signed and registered outside the transfer window, giving Moyes's side an available route to bolster their attack without needing to negotiate a fee.
Other reports in recent days have suggested Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Leeds, Brighton, Newcastle and Sunderland have also been made aware of his availability, though the strength of genuine interest from those clubs remains unclear.