Man United to confront Martinez over attitude, form and contract after red card against Chelsea

Manchester United are set to hold formal talks with Lisandro Martinez after a turbulent period that has seen the Argentine publicly criticise the club’s hierarchy and receive a red card in Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea at Old Trafford.

According to Fabrizio Romano, club officials plan to meet Martinez in the coming days and weeks to discuss four specific areas: his attitude, recent performances, his future at the club, and his contractual situation. United hold a one-year option on his current deal, which expires at the end of this season, and a decision on whether to trigger that clause is expected to follow the talks.

The 28-year-old centre-back has had a difficult few weeks. Last month, following United’s 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid, Martinez publicly expressed frustration at what he perceived as a lack of investment in the squad — remarks he later defended without offering an apology. The criticism came despite the club signing Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos during the summer window.

Matters escalated on Saturday when Martinez was dismissed against Chelsea after catching Wesley Fofana in the face while challenging for the ball. The incident resulted in a second yellow card and left Michael Carrick’s side with ten men for a significant portion of the match.

The disciplinary setback has added urgency to United’s internal review of the defender’s situation. Club officials reportedly want to assess all available options before committing to a course of action, including the possibility of allowing Martinez to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires.

Interest from elsewhere is already building. Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, AS Roma and Como have all been linked with a potential move, according to reports in Spain and Italy. Spanish publication Sport claims Barcelona have identified Martinez as one of their priority defensive targets.

With uncertainty mounting both on and off the pitch, the forthcoming meetings are likely to prove decisive in determining whether Martinez remains part of United’s long-term plans or moves on at the end of the campaign.