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 the Argentine defender’s contract will be extended when it expires next summer.
United will focus on revamping their defence in the next transfer windows and hold the formal option to prolong Martinez’s stay for a further year. It has also been reported that United are looking at new centre-backs as well as left-backs.
Martinez’s comments and the fallout
United’s bosses have yet to decide whether to discipline Martinez for his comments. 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.”
It is understood 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. It is also understood 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. Martinez remains a key part of Michael Carrick’s squad, however, and United’s bosses know they must handle the situation carefully. A deepening rift could cause serious problems in a defence already blighted by injury and suspension.
Martinez has been keen on a move away from 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 join 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 while at Ajax in 2022. Martinez, who again wanted a move away at that time, called their sporting director Gerry Hamstra a “nobody”.
A defence under pressure
United’s defensive options are severely limited. 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. 33-year-old Harry Maguire’s game-time is being managed to avoid overloading him.
Luke Shaw is injured with no specified return date, and his other options in the role, Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui, are also absent with fitness issues.
Why can’t Man Utd spend big?
One observer argued that Manchester United are no longer the powerhouse of world football they once were. The club recorded record revenues of £678m, yet still posted a pre-tax loss of £47m and is paying interest on loans of £70m.
The club has huge debts to the Glazers and does not have the spending capacity of Manchester City, Arsenal or Chelsea, for example. Their transfer strategy has been very specific. Two summers ago it focused on the frontline, while this summer it centred on midfield, as Kobbie Mainoo was their only remaining senior midfielder once Casemiro had left. The three midfielders they brought in all started against Atletico, at a combined cost of £156m, and all are seen as integral to the club’s future.
The next focus will be defence, yet many fans have asked how the team can get through this season with Luke Shaw as their only senior left-back. United are likely to argue that they will not spend money on a stopgap when they plan to sign a new left-back in the summer, as that would leave them with players on big wages who would not play. They could not afford Myles Lewis-Skelly or Lewis Hall, who are their real targets in that position.
There is a jarring disconnect between United’s financial reality and their strategy. The club will not heed supporters’ complaints, but it is understandably frustrated that some rivals are spending big when it cannot do the same right now.
Merson: a sad situation
Merson believes a solid defence is essential: “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 as a football team.”
He praised Carlos Baleba of Brighton, though he noted the midfielder is young, and said he is a fan of Youri Tielemans. He admitted being shocked by the Andrey Santos signing, adding that he did not see anything from him last season to suggest he was a signing of that magnitude.
Merson was blunt about the club’s position: “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: “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.”