Barcelona have not closed the door on signing a center-back in the winter transfer window, as Mundo Deportivo reported a few days ago. The injury crisis in defense has put center-back options back in focus on the market, with some targets more realistic than others.
Mundo Deportivo says that if it were purely a technical choice, the first option would be 24-year-old Croatian Gvardiol, with 26-year-old Italian defender Bastoni as a fallback. However, Manchester City and Internazionale currently have no intention of letting them go. In contrast, the situation of 28-year-old Argentina international Lisandro Martinez at Manchester United and in the Premier League has become increasingly dire, and all indications suggest he might leave in the winter window.
Lisandro Martinez, once highly praised for his excellent ball-playing ability, has faced extremely harsh criticism in the English media in recent hours, even from outlets not known for sensationalism, which is quite noteworthy.
His red card against Chelsea, for a reckless foul on Wesley Fofana after a corner that conceded a penalty, completely exhausted the patience of analysts and observers. With his contract running out, the possibility of his departure is further amplified. Both in England and in the Netherlands, where Lisandro Martinez rose to prominence with Ajax, his exit from Manchester has become the default expectation in recent hours.
The Guardian was unsparing in its assessment of Lisandro Martinez's situation. "The worst player in the Premier League. His fake tough-guy act led to him conceding a penalty and then getting sent off, and Cole Palmer converted the penalty to score the winning goal. This symbolizes Manchester United's decline under the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Martinez has been severely criticizing the hierarchy recently, but this player should have been sold a long time ago."
"Lisandro Martinez is the worst player in the Premier League this season," wrote The Athletic. "He is primarily responsible for Manchester United dropping points in just three games. His poor performances are baffling. This cannot continue. Manchester United cannot keep fielding a player who constantly costs the team points through mistakes and who seems not to care at all."
The Telegraph wrote: "It is no surprise that manager Carrick did not even look at him when he came off. Carrick's protection of Martinez has reached a point where many coaches would have dropped him long ago, yet he still put him in the starting lineup, despite Martinez having severely criticized the club's management. Martinez is a plastic tough guy: tough in front of the microphone, soft on the pitch."
The Manchester Evening News was equally unsparing. "Previously, his passing was a strength; he linked well with the midfield and moved the ball forward. But this foul, leading to a red card and a penalty, was simply ridiculous. After that, Manchester United had no more chances."
With 38 appearances and 2 goals for Argentina, Lisandro Martinez is seen within Manchester United as one of the scapegoats for another disappointing season at the storied club. He has made 10 appearances this season, totaling 763 minutes, which suggests Carrick has not completely discarded him. However, the fading of the Argentine's star at Manchester United is not very different from the fate of many other players who made high-profile moves to Old Trafford: he joined Manchester United from Ajax in the summer of 2022 for a transfer fee of 67 million euros.