Lisandro Martinez's Manchester United future has been called into question following 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 in the summer. United will focus on revamping their defence in the next transfer windows and have the formal option to prolong Martinez's stay for a further year. Sky Sports News has also been told United are looking at new centre-backs, as well as left-backs.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player United's bosses have yet to decide whether to discipline Martinez for his comments, when 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." Sky Sports News has been told that there is anger and bemusement at what Martinez said, both in the United boardroom and in the changing room, with at least one other player challenging him over his comments as the squad got on board the plane to fly back to Manchester. The implication that Martinez doesn't think his team-mates are good enough to compete has not gone down well with other players.
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, to follow his good friend and international team-mate, Cristian Romero, who left Spurs for Spain. No suitable bid for Martinez came in for Manchester United to consider.
The 28-year-old made similar explosive comments about his bosses when at Ajax in 2022. Martinez, who again wanted a move away, called their sporting director Gerry Hamstra a "nobody". Martinez remains a key part of Michael Carrick's squad and United's bosses know they have to handle this situation carefully.
If a rift were to grow, that could cause serious problems in United's defence, which is already blighted by injury and suspension. Ayden Heaven started out of position at left-back against Atletico. Leny Yoro, who was sent off in the Metropolitano Stadium, will now face a one-game European ban, and 33-year-old Harry Maguire's game-time is being managed to avoid overloading.
Luke Shaw is out injured with a non-specified return date, and his other options in the role, Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui, are also absent with fitness issues. "Man Utd aren't the powerhouse of world football they once were. Yes, they made record revenues of £678m, but still made a pre-tax loss of £47m and are paying interest on loans of £70m.
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