Lisandro Martinez's future at Manchester United has been put in serious doubt after his surprising and sharp criticism of club bosses. There are currently real doubts whether the Argentine defender's contract will be extended when it expires in the summer.
“Old Trafford“ are planning a major defensive overhaul in the next transfer window. Although the club has an automatic extension clause in Martinez's contract for another year, according to Sky Sports News, United are already actively looking for new central and full-backs.
The management has not yet decided whether to fine or discipline the 28-year-old for his public comments.
“I expect more from our technical director (editor's note - Jason Wilcox). We expect more from the people at the top — to bring in more players to be competitive“, Martinez erupted after the loss to Atletico last night.
According to Sky Sports News sources, Martinez's statement has caused anger and bewilderment both among the bosses and in the dressing room among his teammates. Already during the flight back to Manchester, at least one of his teammates got into a heated conflict with him. The Argentine's suggestion that his current team-mates are not good enough to compete for trophies was received extremely negatively by the team.
The Argentine international has long wanted to leave Manchester. In the summer, he tried to force a transfer to Atletico Madrid - the team that beat United in the Champions League last night - with the desire to join his close friend Cristian Romero, who moved to Spain from Tottenham. In the end, an official offer for United to consider never came.
This is not the first such outburst from the defender. In 2022, while still wearing the Ajax team and again pushing for a transfer, Martinez called the then sporting director of the Dutch team Gerry Hamstra “nobody“.
At the moment, the Argentine remains a key figure in Michael Carrick's squad, and the club's bosses are aware that the situation must be managed carefully. A possible deepening conflict could create huge problems in the defense of the “Red Devils“, which is already beset by injuries and suspensions.