Manchester United could address two of their pressing issues in one move during the January transfer window. With Michael Carrick under pressure following a difficult start to the season, the club faces problems at centre-back and left-back, and a swap deal involving Lisandro Martinez and Barcelona's Alejandro Balde has been suggested as a potential solution.
Martinez's form and future at Old Trafford
Lisandro Martinez has become a concern both on and off the pitch. Last month, the Argentine publicly criticised the club's director of football, Jason Wilcox, over the club's summer recruitment. On the field, he has arguably become a liability, having been sent off against Chelsea for two yellow cards: one for pulling back Morgan Rogers and another for catching Wesley Fofana with a stray arm and conceding a penalty.
Martinez's contract expires in the summer, but he could depart sooner after Barcelona were linked with a January move. Due to La Liga's financial regulations, the Catalans would need to offload a player to accommodate him.
Balde as the answer to United's left-back issue
According to Marca, the player most likely to be sold is left-back Alejandro Balde, who is already on United's radar. He came close to moving to Old Trafford during the summer but opted to remain at Barcelona and compete for his position.
That appears to be a losing battle, considering the 23-year-old has scarcely featured for Hansi Flick's team this season, registering just three appearances and no starts. In total, he has turned out 172 times for the club, but it now seems his future lies elsewhere.
Carrick's stance on Martinez's commitment
A swap arrangement involving Martinez and Balde could be beneficial for all parties. In the opinion of some observers, Martinez's conduct suggests he is seeking an exit from Old Trafford, though Carrick maintains he harbours no doubts about the 28-year-old's state of mind.
Speaking ahead of the Champions League clash with Roma, he said: "No, I've got no concerns about commitment at all. Things happen in football. Sometimes you do things, sometimes you make a decision, sometimes you make mistakes."
"But the commitment is not an issue for sure. I've said it before, the commitment of the players to the club, to me, to each other is something I don't question at all. We need to play better, we can make better decisions, but commitment's not a thing at all."
