Manchester United have reportedly made contact with the representatives of Bayern Munich teenager Lennart Karl, while manager Michael Carrick has defended Lisandro Martinez's commitment after the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea.
Contact made over Bayern starlet
United are said to have contacted Karl's representatives as the 18-year-old attacking midfielder continues to impress at Bayern Munich. Karl has already made more than 50 appearances for the German club and made his senior international debut for Germany earlier this year.
Recent comments from Bayern's honorary president, Uli Hoeness, have reportedly caused unrest, with Karl's agent, former Germany international Michael Ballack, said to be unhappy. Hoeness said: "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."
According to Bild, those comments have alerted United, Liverpool and Arsenal to his potential availability, with the trio said to have reached out to Karl to discuss his situation. The same report adds that Karl could be available for as little as £50million. His contract expires in 2029.
Carrick backs Martinez
Carrick insists he has no reason to question Martinez's commitment despite his recent comments and performances. Having blasted director of football Jason Wilcox last month, the Argentine was sent off against Chelsea for a pair of bookings, one for kicking out at Morgan Rogers and another for catching Wesley Fofana with a stray arm.
Martinez is out of contract in the summer and, as things stand, it would be no surprise if he leaves the club. But Carrick does not think the 28-year-old has become a liability.
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."
Carrick added there was no update on potential new contracts for Martinez and Bruno Fernandes, who will both be free to speak to foreign clubs in January.
