Lisandro Martinez sale: the right decision at the right time for United – opinion

Life comes at you fast especially at Manchester United, where difficult conversations are often the only kind of conversations. Away from the obvious big call needed regarding the next permanent head coach, United have huge decisions to make in terms of strengthening their squad ahead of next season. That certainly includes looking outward for reinforcements but also peering into their own dressing room, from where misfits must be moved on, money recouped for reinvestment and weak links replaced with stronger bonds. Martinez under the microscope There should be very few untouchables in United’s current squad; that’s not to say the club should be spending time actively trying to sell three quarters of their first-team roster, but should offers come in they should be listened to attentively. Until recently, Lisandro Martinez would firmly have been one of those untouchables, a backline lion bringing bite and guile to the Red Devils. It feels like a default position but one worth interrogating because it might not actually be true. Depending on how far you are willing to stretch the term “recently”, the Argentine has alternately been suspended, injured, or in erratic form a world away from the calm dominance he showed when he first arrived at Old Trafford. Untouchable no longer And for that reason, all of a sudden United should be preparing for life without Licha. Not actively looking for suitors or scrawling his name in three-foot letters on the transfer list, but quietly preparing a contingency plan should an offer come in that makes financial sense to accept. Whether that plan involves more game time for Ayden Heaven, exploiting a market opportunity like Marcos Senesi on a free transfer or investing in a replacement is just another item on an already jam-packed agenda. United have had to get used to playing without Licha anyway, and at this point only sometimes look better with him on the pitch. The squad is surprisingly rich in centre-back options, including Heaven and elder statesman Harry Maguire, and so much time have they spent on the field that it’s no longer correct to say that Martinez walks straight back into the starting lineup just because he’s fit. Considered alongside his apparently worsening disciplinary record – he has always been spiky, but lately seems to be opting for overt, ill-judged aggression over the hard-but-fair robustness that was once his calling card – and it is not the prettiest picture for the 28-year-old. Still an asset On his day, the diminutive Argentine is borderline unplayable both in and out of possession. He has bullied forwards twice his size as the squad’s most ferocious defender, and is one of the best passers of the ball at the club – should he leave, his playmaking from deep would certainly be tricky to replace. At present there is no indication that he will be heading for the exit this summer, and this is not in itself a bad thing. Martinez is a massive character in the dressing room, one that commands respect and generally appears a force for good in a squad slowly piecing itself together. But the cracks are starting to show, and a big club wouldn’t think twice about accepting a decent fee should one be offered – if one comes in, United must show that a big club is indeed what they are. Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Joe Ponting Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried. He cut his teeth working in print media for local newspapers and entered football journalism covering the grassroots game for the Non-League Paper. Here he achieved a career high, interviewing United legend Sir Bobby Charlton to get his views on the lower echelons of the football pyramid. To kill time during international breaks Joe writes album reviews and has strong views on post punk for Plus One Magazine.