Lisandro Martinez’s future at Manchester United has been called into question after his extraordinary criticism of the club’s bosses, and there are real doubts about whether the Argentine defender’s contract will be extended when it expires next summer.
United will focus on strengthening their defence in the next transfer windows and hold the formal option to extend Martinez’s stay by a further year. It has also been learned that the club is looking at new centre-backs as well as left-backs.
Martinez’s comments
United’s bosses have yet to decide whether to discipline Martinez for his remarks. He said: “I expect more from our technical director (meaning director of football, Jason Wilcox). We expect more from the top, from upstairs, to bring in more players to compete.”
There is anger and bemusement at what he said, both in the United boardroom and in the changing room. At least one other player challenged him over his comments as the squad boarded the plane to fly back to Manchester. It is also understood that there is no internal pressure on Wilcox regarding his position.
The implication that Martinez does not think his team-mates are good enough to compete has not gone down well with other players.
A long-running desire to leave
Martinez has been keen to leave Old Trafford for some time. In the summer, he pushed for a move to Atletico Madrid, the side that beat United in the Champions League last night, so he could follow his good friend and international team-mate Cristian Romero, who left Tottenham for Spain. No suitable bid for Martinez came in for United to consider.
The 28-year-old made similarly explosive comments about his bosses when he was at Ajax in 2022. He wanted to leave then too, and he called their sporting director Gerry Hamstra a “nobody”.
Martinez remains a key part of Michael Carrick‘s squad, and United’s bosses know they must handle the situation carefully. A growing rift could cause serious problems in a defence already blighted by injury and suspension.
Defensive crisis
Ayden Heaven started out of position at left-back against Atletico. Leny Yoro, who was sent off at the Metropolitano Stadium, will now serve a one-game European ban. The game-time of 33-year-old Harry Maguire is being managed to avoid overloading him.
Luke Shaw is out injured with no specified return date. His other options in the role, Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui, are also absent with fitness issues.
Why can’t Man Utd spend big?
“Man Utd aren’t the powerhouse of world football they once were,” one observer said. “Yes, they made record revenues of £678m, but they still made a pre-tax loss of £47m and are paying interest on loans of £70m.
“We know they’ve got huge debts to the Glazers. They don’t have the amounts to spend that Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea do, for example.
“They’ve come up with a very specific transfer strategy. Two summers ago it focused on the frontline. This summer it was about midfield, because they only had Kobbie Mainoo left as their one senior midfielder when Casemiro left. By the way, the three midfielders they brought in all started last night, at a cost of £156m, and they’re all integral to Man Utd going forward.
“In the next transfer window, they’ll focus on defence. But a lot of fans have been asking how they can get through this season with Luke Shaw as their only senior left-back. It’s a fair argument. Man Utd will say they won’t spend money on a stopgap when they’re going to sign a new left-back in the summer, because they’d be left with players on big wages who aren’t going to play.
“They couldn’t afford Myles Lewis-Skelly or Lewis Hall, who are their real targets in that position. There’s a jarring at the moment between Man Utd’s financial reality and their strategy going forward.
“They won’t listen to the noise from supporters, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are understandably frustrated some of their rivals are going out and spending big when they simply cannot do that right now.”
Merson: a sad situation
Paul Merson offered his view: “First of all, you have to have a good defence. If you’re not solid in defence, it’s all going to fall apart. You don’t build a house on a puddle, and it’s the same with a football team.
“I like Carlos Baleba from Brighton, but he’s young. Youri Tielemans, I’m a fan of. But I was a bit shocked by the Andrey Santos signing, I’m not going to lie. I’m a big Chelsea fan, and I didn’t see anything last season to make me think, ‘What a signing,’ when Man Utd signed him. I didn’t get that one.
“It’s sad that Manchester United can’t afford these players. They’re one of the biggest clubs in world football, and they’re not able to afford a Myles Lewis-Skelly or a Lewis Hall. It’s quite sad, really, where Man Utd have gone from where they were 20 years ago, when they were one of the greatest teams we’ve seen. It’s very sad. They shouldn’t be there.
“They probably sell more shirts than anyone else. Their club shop is just as big as Selfridges. If you go anywhere in the world, people have Man Utd shirts on. It’s sad, the way it’s gone.
“Other teams are buying one player for the amount of money United are spending on three midfielders. We all know that the more money you spend on a player, more often than not they’re going to be a better player. Man Utd are in that ‘looking for deals’ situation. They’re the Arthur Daley of the top teams at the moment. They’re wheeling and dealing, and other teams are buying the already-made product. Man Utd are buying players who might be good.”