Lisandro Martínez has spoken frankly about Manchester United's ownership after the club's 2-0 defeat by Atlético Madrid, criticising the board and specifically technical director Jason Wilcox for failing to invest sufficiently in the squad over the summer.
Martínez's comments, made on Amazon Prime, come after his own high-profile defensive errors against Fulham and Tottenham contributed to United's indifferent start to the season. His intervention has drawn criticism from former players, with Wayne Rooney calling it "disrespectful," Ashley Young saying "I don't feel like he's got the right," and Rio Ferdinand observing on his podcast that "these things don't end well, man."
Summer transfer window under scrutiny
United brought in three midfielders (Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba) and a reserve goalkeeper (Karl Darlow) during the summer, but no forwards or defenders. The club pursued deals for Lewis Hall and Myles Lewis-Skelly but were unable to sell a defender, with no interest in Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, or Martínez himself.
The club baulked at the asking price for Elliot Anderson and instead signed Santos and Tielemans, reflecting an austerity regime under part-owner Jim Ratcliffe, who has been cutting costs and raising ticket prices to curb years of excess.
Glazer ownership legacy
Martínez's criticism implicitly holds the Glazers accountable for more than £1bn drained from the club over 21 years of ownership, including dividends, share sales, and interest payments on debt, while Old Trafford and the training ground at Carrington were neglected.
His comments are notable as few serving United players have spoken out so frankly about the Glazer ownership. Ole Gunnar Solskjær made a minor stand in early 2005, and Cristiano Ronaldo criticised the club shortly before leaving in 2022.
Impact on the club
Martínez attempted to clarify his comments in a social media post on Wednesday night. The club has also faced fan discontent over a purge of season-ticket holders in the summer, contributing to apathy at Old Trafford on matchdays.
The situation reflects a broader pattern at United: bumper returns for owners, price hikes for fans, and corners cut on the pitch.
