Lisandro Martinez’s Manchester United future has been called into question after his extraordinary criticism of the club’s bosses, and there are real doubts about whether his contract will be extended when it expires next summer. The club hold the formal option to extend his stay for a further year.
Martinez 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.”
United’s bosses have yet to decide whether to discipline the Argentina defender for his comments. Reports suggest United are also looking at new centre-backs and left-backs in the next transfer windows.
Anger in the boardroom and changing room
According to reports, there is anger and bemusement at what Martinez 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.
The implication that Martinez does not think his team-mates are good enough to compete has not gone down well with other players. It is also understood there is no internal pressure on Wilcox regarding his position.
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, so he could follow his good friend and international team-mate Cristian Romero, who left Spurs for Spain. No suitable bid for Martinez came in for United to consider.
The 28-year-old made similar explosive comments about his bosses when he was at Ajax in 2022. Martinez, who again wanted to move on, 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.
A defence stretched thin
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 33-year-old Harry Maguire is having his game-time managed to avoid overloading him.
Luke Shaw is out injured with no specified return date. His other options at left-back, Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui, are also absent with fitness issues.
Why can’t Man Utd spend big?
One observer said United are no longer the powerhouse of world football they once were. Although the club posted record revenues of £678m, 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,” the observer said. “They don’t have the amounts to spend that Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea do, for example.”
United have pursued a very specific transfer strategy. Two summers ago it focused on the frontline. This summer it was about midfield, as Kobbie Mainoo was their only senior midfielder left when Casemiro departed. The three midfielders they brought in all started against Atletico, at a combined cost of £156m, and all are considered integral to the club’s future.
With Shaw their only senior left-back, many supporters are asking how the club can get through this season. The observer called that a fair argument, but said United will likely respond that they would not spend money on a stopgap when they plan to sign a new left-back in the summer. Otherwise, they would be left with players on big wages who would not play. The club cannot currently afford Myles Lewis-Skelly or Lewis Hall, their real targets in that position.
“There’s a jarring at the moment between Man Utd’s financial reality and their strategy going forward,” the observer said. “They won’t listen to the noise from supporters, but it doesn’t change the fact they are quite understandably frustrated some of their rivals are going out and spending big when they just cannot do that right now.”
Merson: a sad situation
Paul Merson said a good defence is essential. “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 as a football team.”
He praised Carlos Baleba of Brighton, though noted he is young, and said he is a fan of Youri Tielemans. However, he admitted he was shocked by the Andrey Santos signing. “I’m a big Chelsea fan, and I didn’t see anything last season to the point where Man Utd sign him and I go: ‘What a signing.’ I didn’t get that one.”
Merson described the situation as sad. “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 to now from where they were 20 years ago, when they were one of the greatest teams we’ve seen. They shouldn’t be there.”
He added: “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.”
On United’s approach, Merson said: “Other teams are buying one player for the amount of money that United are buying three midfield players for. 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.”