Man Utd contact Bayern wonderkid Lennart Karl as Carrick defends Martinez commitment

Manchester United have made contact with representatives of Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Lennart Karl, according to German outlet Bild, as the club look to strengthen amid a turbulent Premier League campaign that has left them just above the relegation zone on goal difference.

Karl, 18, has made more than 50 appearances for Bayern and earned his first senior Germany cap earlier this year. The reported interest from United, Liverpool and Arsenal has been fuelled by comments from Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness, who publicly questioned the teenager’s standing at the club. “He’s far from being a superstar. Young players need humility. Comparisons with Michael Olise obviously don’t do him any good. There’s still a world of difference between them,” Hoeness said.

Those remarks are said to have caused “unrest” around Karl and his agent, former Germany international Michael Ballack, prompting speculation that the youngster could seek a move away from the Allianz Arena. Bild reports that Karl could be available for as little as £50m, with his contract running until 2029.

Meanwhile, United manager Michael Carrick moved to defend Lisandro Martinez after a difficult week for the Argentine defender. Martinez was sent off in Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at Chelsea, picking up two bookings — one for kicking out at Morgan Rogers and another for catching Wesley Fofana with a stray arm — compounding a difficult period that had already seen him publicly criticise director of football Jason Wilcox last month.

With Martinez out of contract at the end of the season, questions have been raised about his long-term future at Old Trafford. But Carrick was unequivocal in his support. “No, I’ve got no concerns about commitment at all,” the United manager said.

Carrick himself remains under pressure after back-to-back Premier League defeats, having been given a stay of execution following the home loss to Bournemouth. United now face a Champions League home tie against Roma — who sit third in Serie A and unbeaten after ten games — before a Premier League meeting with Aston Villa, with both fixtures seen as pivotal to the club’s short-term direction.