Barcelona are considering a move for Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez in the January transfer window, with the Argentina international facing mounting criticism after a costly dismissal against Chelsea.
Manchester United are enduring a disastrous season and sit 17th in the Premier League after recording one win and four draws from their opening nine matches. Their struggles could give Barcelona an opportunity to sign Martinez, who appears increasingly likely to leave Old Trafford this winter.
Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona have not ruled out signing a centre-back in January. A series of injuries in defence has prompted the Spanish club to revisit the market, although their preferred targets would be Josko Gvardiol of Manchester City or Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan if the decision were based solely on footballing considerations. Both deals would be difficult to complete.
Martinez under pressure
The situation has become particularly difficult for 28-year-old Martinez. Once widely praised for his ability to control possession, he has faced fierce criticism in England in recent days.
His sending-off against Chelsea has intensified speculation over his future. Martinez committed an unusual foul on Wesley Fofana during a corner, an incident that also resulted in a penalty. Cole Palmer converted the spot-kick to score the winning goal.
With Martinez’s contract due to expire at the end of the current season, the incident has added to suggestions that he could depart in January. Similar discussions have emerged in England and the Netherlands, where Martinez established himself during his time at Ajax.
The Guardian described him as “the worst player in the Premier League”, writing: “His attempt to play the tough guy led to a red card after a penalty was awarded against him, from which Cole Palmer scored the winning goal. It symbolises the decline of Manchester United under the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.”
The newspaper added: “Martinez has been heavily critical of his bosses recently, but this is a player who should have been sold long ago.”
The Athletic also called Martinez “the worst player in the Premier League this season”, saying he had been chiefly responsible for Manchester United dropping points in three matches. It added that his decline was “a baffling mystery” and that United could not rely on a player who repeatedly cost them points with errors “he appears not to care about”.
The Daily Telegraph said it was “no surprise that manager Michael Carrick did not even look at him as he left the pitch”, adding: “Martinez is artificially provocative: strong in front of the microphone, weak on the pitch.”
Manchester Evening News similarly criticised the defender, noting that his passing had previously been a strength and that he worked well with midfielders to move the ball forward. However, it described the foul that led to his red card and the penalty as “ridiculous”, adding that United had no chance after the incident.
Martinez has played 10 matches this season, totalling 763 minutes, showing that Carrick has continued to select him. He joined Manchester United from Ajax for 67 million euros in the summer of 2022.
Catalan newspaper Sport has also reported that Barcelona are searching for a centre-back and view Martinez as an available opportunity. Sporting director Deco is monitoring the situation closely, although the club have several alternatives and none are financially straightforward.
