Lisandro Martinez transfer news: Manchester United‘s £60 million centre-back Lisandro Martínez is reportedly battling to preserve his place at Old Trafford, with INEOS ownership now evaluating his long-term future amid serious injury concerns. According to talkSPORT, via The Daily Express, the club’s hierarchy has decided against handing the 28-year-old a significant contract extension until he demonstrates consistent fitness and form across the 2026/27 campaign.
His current deal expires at the end of the season. United plan to trigger a one-year extension clause, keeping him until 2027/28, but no guarantees exist beyond that point. Since arriving in 2022, Martínez has missed close to 80 Premier League matches, a figure that has pushed INEOS toward considering a sale if the pattern continues.
He returned late from World Cup duty after Argentina’s final defeat to Spain and was immediately dropped to the bench by manager Michael Carrick in a 2-0 loss to Hull City. Pundit Gary Neville has since pushed United to add more defensive cover, with the club already advancing a £70 million move for midfielder Carlos Baleba.
Lisandro Martinez transfer news: The case for keeping him is strong, but the injury record makes it untenable
Here’s the central problem. When Martínez actually plays, he’s genuinely United’s best defender. His 2025/26 numbers back that up with 18 Premier League appearances, 774 completed passes, a 93% passing accuracy, and a technical profile that no other centre-back at the club comes close to replicating.
Carrick’s possession-based system demands a left-footed ball-carrier in that position, and there simply isn’t a ready-made replacement in the building. At the 2026 World Cup, he played 627 minutes across seven matches, posted a 92% passing rate against elite opposition, scored one goal, and earned a place in the Fans’ Team of the Tournament. World-class, clearly.
But then there’s the medical record. Over 80 games missed since 2022. He came back from Argentina’s World Cup campaign carrying yet another muscular strain. Carrick had to pair Harry Maguire with rookie Ayden Heaven on opening day, and United got beaten 2-0 by Hull. That result wasn’t just embarrassing; it exposed exactly how brittle the defensive foundation becomes without Martínez fit. United made the same mistake with Luke Shaw. Elite player, chronic absentee, enormous wages, structural damage done.
Lisandro Martinez transfer news and what United must do next
United should trigger the extension clause, but solely to protect his transfer value. If he picks up another significant soft tissue injury before January, INEOS must sell. He still commands genuine market interest as a World Cup finalist, and that window won’t stay open forever. Carrick can’t build anything reliable around a defender who cannot string three consecutive months of Premier League football together.
