Lisandro Martinez's Manchester United future has been called into question after his extraordinary public criticism of the club's bosses. There are real doubts about whether the Argentine defender's contract will be extended when it expires in the summer, although United hold the formal option to prolong 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." Sky Sports News has been told there is anger and bemusement at the comments in both the boardroom and the changing room, with at least one other player challenging him as the squad boarded the plane back to Manchester. The implication that his team-mates are not good enough has not gone down well with others.
United have yet to decide whether to discipline Martinez. The club is set to focus on revamping its defence in the next transfer windows, and is reportedly looking at new centre-backs and left-backs. Martinez has long wanted to leave Old Trafford, having pushed for a move to Atletico Madrid in the summer, but no suitable bid arrived. He made similar comments about his bosses while at Ajax in 2022.
The situation comes at a difficult time for the defence, already weakened by injury and suspension. Leny Yoro faces a one-game European ban after being sent off at the Metropolitano Stadium, Luke Shaw is injured, and Harry Maguire is having his game-time managed. Any rift could cause serious problems, and United's bosses know they must handle the situation carefully.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing