Lisandro Martinez's Manchester United future has been called into question after public outburst

Sky Sports News

Martinez's Manchester United future is in doubt after his public outburst, with Merson also discussing United's recruitment, Arsenal and City.

The video focuses on Lisandro Martinez's public criticism of Manchester United's hierarchy and recruitment after the defeat at Atletico Madrid, and whether that has put his Old Trafford future in doubt. Rob Dorset and Paul Merson discuss the dressing-room reaction, United's financial and transfer strategy, and Merson also gives his views on Jason Wilcox, Arsenal's title and Champions League hopes, and Manchester City. The conclusion is that Martinez's future is uncertain but United still need to handle him carefully, while fan frustration over transfers has a real financial basis.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWSkySportsYT 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. SkySportsNews SkySports football ► For the latest developments on this story: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/topstories ► For the latest transfer news: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/TransferCentre More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsnews ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsNews ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Transcript

Right, we start this lunchtime though with Manchester United after Landre Martinez's extraordinary comments criticizing the club's hierarchy for their lack of investment this summer. United lost 2-0 away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last night, but it was Martinez's post-match interview that has grabbed the headlines and seen him be slammed by former players. Martinez told Amazon Prime, "I have to control myself a lot, but sometimes it's a reflection of how our club is at the moment. We had a fantastic season last season and now we expect more from the top from upstairs to bring in more players to compete because many teams have brought in players as well. I expect more from our technical director I have to be honest and also as a player we have to do more. Asked about Carrick's future, Martinez replied, you start changing changing changing managers but what about other areas? As I mentioned, we'll be joined by Paul Merson in just a moment, but first, our football correspondent, Rob Dorset, has got a development for us now on this story. So, so Rob, damning comments by Martinez last night. What does it now mean for his Manchester United future? >> I think you have to say that Landre Martinez's Manchester United future is in doubt after those quite extraordinary comments criticizing the club's bosses. There are real doubts now, I think, about whether his stay at Old Trafford will go beyond the summer. So his contract runs until the end of the summer, the end of this season as things stand. But Manchester United have the option to extend that by a further year. But we know that Manchester United will be looking in the next transfer windows to revamp their defense and they are looking at a number of center backs as well as left backs. It's been made clear to me. Um and so with all of that in mind, is Landre Martinez part of Manchester United's plans beyond the end of this season? Now, they've got to hand handle this very very carefully, I think, Manchester United because he's a key part of Manchester United's plans right now still. He's a vital part of Michael Carrick's squad and they've got an awful lot of injuries and suspensions in those areas. I mean, the this is I think this is what's g a lot of people is that Martinez hasn't been on great form. You can see his reaction there to allowing Dominick Seni to score for Spurs, a late equalizer at the weekend. Um, but with the injury problems and suspension problems United have got the back, they can't allow a rift to grow between the bosses, between Carrick and Landro Martinez. They need him. As simple as that. >> How has this gone down in the United dressing room as well? >> Not well. Um, I mean, look, I think we need to point out that I've been told Manchester United's bosses are yet to decide whether they will take disciplinary action against Martinez for his comments. Um, but I've been told that there is anger and beusement in the boardroom, but also in the changing room at what Martinez had to say. Um, because you remember that by implying that the players that United have got are not good enough, that didn't go down well with a number of his teammates. And it was made very clear to me that at least one other player challenged him about what he had to say as the squad got on board the plane to fly back from Spain last night. So, that is an issue for United to address and for Michael Carrick as well. if there's any sort of bad feeling within the dressing room. And I think we should import point out as well that Martinez has made it pretty clear he wants to leave Manchester United. Um in the summer he pushed for a move to Atletico Madrid, ironically the team that beat Manchester United last night. He wanted to go with his international teammate Christian Romero who's a very close friend of his and of course he made the move from from Spurs to Spain. But no suitable bid came in for Manchester United for Martinez, which is why he's still a Manchester United player. And he has got form here. He has done this in the past. Back when he was at Ajax in 2022, he again wanted to move away from the Netherlands club then and he called their sporting director Jerry Hamstra a nobody and there was an exploitive he used as well. So that didn't earn him many favors in the Netherlands and I think it will be a similar reaction here in Manchester. The bosses won't like what he's done and and his teammates aren't very keen on it either. >> Okay, let's get more on this now. We can be joined by former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson. Merc, good to see you as always. I mean, do you think given everything that we've just been talking about, do you think Martinez is now done at Manchester United? >> I'm a bit with Rob because he's one of their main center half. So, that's the problem really. It's it's you you're putting him in there and saying, "Right, okay. We'll chop our nose off the spite our face." You know, United are struggling at the moment. For me, they have to be careful what they do. He plays for him. I I was shocked by him by his comments last night. We was on uh soccer special last night when they when they come out and I I was majorly surprised. First I can understand with the with the comments about the sporting director they brought the players in but the manager maybe but him to say that and he's got to go back in the dress room and as you say some of them players are going to go who you talking about. So that was uh it's quite damning if I'm being honest and I wouldn't mind if he was ripping up like Bruno was last year. He's, you know, he's the one who lost Salanki on Saturday for the goal, so he's not ripping it up himself. >> Wayne really said that Martinez went too far and that these comments could rip the dressing room apart. And Rob's just been telling us that some of the players had a go at him, had questions about what he said as they boarded the flight home. What's your take? >> Yeah, I mean that that was going to happen. Yeah, I mean the players are going to going to go, but if you got to be honest, you're going to know who the players are. You know, they're going to know who they are, who he's talking about. I mean they brought in some players you know brought in Santos not really hit the ground running. Tielemans has not hit the heights what he did at Aston Villa. So at the moment you know them players but I I thought Tielemans was a good signing in my opinion but yeah I I'm shocked what he said. I mean yeah I'm just amazed. I mean it takes it takes something to do that you know it does. I mean it would have been in the heat of the moment. He probably got back in the dressing room after got in the shower and thought oh what have I said? You know, I I say and I think sometimes after games, after defeats, I think you got to be careful when we interview people because it is passion. It's a passionate sport. People get passionate. No one likes losing football matches. And you go straight into the camera to Mike Sunday and you know, he's not a good loser. You could see that. And uh he said something that he shouldn't have said, but I think if if it would have been an hour and a half after the game, I ain't sure if he would have said that. >> Rob is still here with me. And Rob, is this kind of picking at a scab perhaps a little bit because Manchester United fans weren't happy with the transfer business that they did over the summer and kind of previously as well? >> Yeah, I think that's right. Um, it it look Manchester United are not the powerhouse of world football that they once were. Um, yes, they had record revenues of £678 million in the latest accounts 2526, but they still made a pre-tax loss of £47 million and they paid net interest on loans of 70 million. We know they've got huge debt to the Glazers. So they don't have the money to spend that maybe Manchester City and Arsenal and Chelsea do for example. Um and so they they've come up with a very specific transfer strategy and that was two summers ago were going to focus on the front line and they only brought in forward players. This summer just gone they wanted to strengthen the midfield because they only had Kobe Mayu left as their only senior midfielder after Casemiro left and they brought in three midfielders. By the way, they all started £156 million spent on three central midfield players. They all played against Atletico Madrid last night. So, they're integral to Manchester United going forward and it's the next transfer windows while they'll focus on defense. But a lot of supporters said, "How can we try and get through this season with only Luke Shaw as our senior left back?" Um, and and that's a fair comment. That's a fair argument. Manchester United will come back and say, "Well, look, we're not going to spend money on a stop gap to cover for Luke Shaw when we're going to sign a full left back and other defenders in in in in a in a in the next transfer window because we're going to be left with these players who aren't going to play on big wages and they couldn't afford Miles Lewis Skellyy and Lewis Hall who are the real targets of the players they want to strengthen at left back." So, I think there's a a jarring at the moment between the financial reality for Manchester United and how their strategy is going forward. They won't listen to the noise from supporters, but it doesn't change the fact that Manchester United supporters are quite understandably frustrated that some of their rivals are going out and spending big when Manchester United just can't do that right now. >> Yeah. Paul, what was your view over the summer in particular on United's signings? Have they been doing enough? Would do you think the strategy is the right one? >> Uh, not really. Yeah, I I I think first of all, I think you got to have a good defense. I think if you're not solid in defense, I think that it's all going to fall apart. I think that's got to be, you know, you don't build a house on a puddle. And it's the same with a football team. So, for me, I thought they should have done it the other way round first. Uh I like them. I I like Boler from uh Brighton. I like him, but he's young. Tielemans, as I said, I was I was a bit shocked by Santos. I'm not going to lie. I'm a big Chelsea fan and I I didn't see anything last season that that I sat there when he when Man United brought him and thought, "Wow, they've got a sign in a half there." So, I didn't get that one. When Rob was talking then it's sad. It's sad Man United can't afford these players. can't afford, you know, it's you're the one of the biggest clubs in the world of football and and they're not being able to afford a Lewis Skelly or a Hall. You it's quite sad really in my opinion, you know, where Man United have gone to now from where they were, you know, 20 years ago. One of the greatest teams we've seen. So for me, yeah, it's sad. Very sad. >> And it's interesting, isn't it, when Rob was just saying how much they sent spent in total in that midfield rebuild, they were spending 150 million. Some teams are spending that on a single player almost. They've never broken that hundred million pound mark. Does that tell you exactly where they are at the moment in terms of what they're able to do? >> Yeah, but they shouldn't be there though, should they? They probably sell more shirts than anybody else. I mean, their club shops as big as Selfies. Uh, you know, you drop anywhere in the world. Anywhere in the world, every people got Man United shirts on. I I mean, it's it's unbelievable. You know, I know Rob just said about the loan, about what they're paying back there. I mean every every time they're paying that back. I mean that's by the end of the year that would have been another player probably. So it is sad the way it's gone. I mean the way I don't get involved in finances with football clubs and things like that but what you read from the outside with Glazers and what they're doing is it's sad where Man United are at the moment. As you say these other teams are are buying one player for the amount they're having to buy three midfield players for. And we all know the more money you spend on a player more often than not they're going to be a better player. So, you know, Man United are in that looking for deal sort of situation which is yeah I mean Man United it's a bit like Man United are the daily of the top teams at the moment. You know they're wheeling and dealing. The other teams are just going out and buying the already product. So Man United are buying on the hope that this player might be good might be good. >> Yeah Mercy you're absolutely right. And the interesting thing here is that they they they waited a season to get Carlos Bourba. You know, they were originally quoted £105 million. They got him for 70. They think that's a great bit of business. A season later, they've they've saved £35 million. But it is a changing of the guard. You know, they were in for Antoine Semen. They were into in for Elliot Anderson. Those were two players that they really wanted and they they had to drop out of the bidding process pretty quickly because Manchester United Manchester City rather blew them out of the water. £17 million for Elliot Anderson. They couldn't get anywhere near that United. But what I want to ask you, Merc, is that it feels to me like this is putting more pressure on Jason Wilcox. Now, I know I've been told clearly there's no pressure on him internally, but in the in the in the in the the realm of public opinion and United supporters, Martinez coming out and saying this against Jason Wilcox will surely put pressure on him. >> Yeah, it will. But as you just said, Rob, what you you're just saying, they went in for Ellie Anderson, they went for certain other players, and they got blown out the water. That's not that's not Jason Wilcox's fault. He's got to he he can only work with with what he's got and what he can only spend what he's got and at the moment you know everybody else is buying already players like Lewis Skelly and Hall would have improved Man United 1 million% they're very good players they would have been good signings but here you know you buy Elliot Anderson people and Smenu who played in the Premier League they've proven you know from Brighton is he's a young good player who who's played at Brighton And now he's got to go to one of the biggest clubs in the world who he's probably sitting there on the coach after him going like all or last weekend when they drew with Tottenham and they're he's probably going what's all the fuss if if Brighton draw with Tottenham it's a good result and this is the problem. I think probably with Tielemans as well, it's it's been a bit hard for him and I'm shocked. But yeah, I I would really blame Jason Wilcott if I'm being honest. But people the more he gets mentioned, the more people are going to be started looking, especially if the players are questioning. But for me, he's buying players that they can only who did they bought a lad from the lad from what's the name last year? The fullback I think it was last year from from Italy, you know, from like a run-of-the-mill Italian team, not like a Juventus or an Inter Milan or AC Milan, you know, and it's just like for30 million pound and you're buying players on the flip of a coin at Man United now. It's like we'll flip that and we hope it lands on heads and he's a really good player and he's going to be successful and if it lands on towels and he's not and there's another another dud we bought and and not good enough. You know, I thought the forwards they bought you went last season you they bought Kuna and Wayo and Cisco. I I just for for me none of them are goal scorers. None of them are like out and out goal scorers who are going to get you a goal. You know, the two I said, Kuna and Mo, they're they're they're flar players. They're very hot and cold. They'll be boiling hot and then they'll be freezing freezing cold. And that's the problem. You can't have that at Man United. Man United, you've got to be a seven, seven and a half every single week. You can't be a five and then a nine and then a five and then a nine and a half. You can't. And I I didn't think they bought very well. I didn't think they bought very well up front last year. I don't think them players are going to get you between them 40 goals in a season or 35 or even yeah even 30 really 35 goals which is not a lot if you're getting 15 each. I say a lot I don't think I got that but I I wasn't a center forward worth 100 100 million. So for me I think the problem is is the players they're buying a a flip of a coin players and that's the sad thing with Man United at the moment. M you said on Monday that this was going to be a big week for Carrick with the game last night than leads at the weekend as well who are in great form. How much harder have these comments from Martinez made things for Carrick this week? Cuz in a lot of ways though it felt like there was a bit of support in there is one interpretation of what he had to say. >> There was definitely support in there. He's saying you know Martinez I take much notice of Martinez though. I mean he's put himself right in it and now we're looking at little clips from him saying oh he's he was nice to the boss. don't want him sacked. Um, yeah, I I think it's a big football match. I I You know what? I thought they did all right last night. When they go one nil down in 40 seconds, you're sitting there and you're thinking, "Oh, this is going to be terrible. This is going to be a four or five or six." They had good chances, Man United. They could have folded. They didn't. Not an easy place to go. So, I would tick the plus box on that. I know they lost the game 2-0, but a plus, you know, a positive out of it. I know they lost, but it's a positive in. They didn't collapse. They didn't start getting beat four and fives and and in and had good chances to score a goal if I'm being honest. So, I think this is a big game. I I said it uh at the start of the week and I this is just where Man United are at the moment and this is no disrespect to Lead United football club, but them Le United fans this weekend, if they walk out of Ellen Road and they have been beaten, they would be flabbergasted. They would be shocked. And that that's not really how it's been over the you know this is Man United leads and no disrespect to Leeds. Leeds were a top top club but how many times and the leads fans be honest with themselves and ask themselves how many times have they turned up at Ellen Road to play Man United and expected to get a result and expect to get a result. They they'll be shocked if they didn't get a result this weekend and that's where Man United are at the moment. >> Um let's turn our attention now to Arsenal. I've let Rob go now that we can we can part of the Man United chat for a day. Busy boarding never I didn't say that but he's got phone calls to make parked on a double yellow and he's got a go or something >> that old excuse. Let's talk Arsenal now though. They beat LIIL 3-0 last night after the game. Mino said that the goal for them this season is to win the quadruple. Is it good to see that level of confidence or is there a bit of a danger when you put a target on your back and you you're that confident? No, I think you got to aim for goals. I think I think you always got to have a goal. I think m Arsenal should win the Premier League in my opinion and I I do think they will. I think they'll go deep in the Champions League again. I think, you know, I watched them last night last night on Soccer special. Comfortable, you know, against a decent decent French team and they were decent. Made them look really really average and and they they were dominant. They played with that confidence of we are one of the best teams in Europe. I'd be interested how they get on next week against Bayern Munich. That's a big football match. You know, they're one