Manchester United center-back Lisandro Martínez is poised to leave the beleaguered English giants in 2027 — and Atlético Madrid are one of the teams interested in signing him, per a new report.
According to Edu Burgos in Diario AS, Lisandro’s contract at United has a mutual option that either side can trigger to extend the deal for another year. However, neither Lisandro nor his current club wants to trigger the extension clause, especially after the player tore into club management following United’s
2-0 loss at Atlético earlier this month.
It is precisely Atlético who are positioned to step up their longstanding interest in “Licha” when the 28-year-old is able to speak to other clubs in January, Burgos writes.
“Given his quality and (non-existent) price, Lisandro is a real gem in such an inflated market,” Burgos said. “In fact, ‘Cuti’ Romero threw him a lifeline in an interview on the Edul brothers‘ YouTube channel. He stated categorically: ‘Lisandro Martínez,’ when asked ‘a player I would bring to my club?’”
Look, Lisandro is a good defender. A technically-sound left-footed center-back with a World Cup win on his resume isn’t easy to find, and one available on a Bosman is a rarity indeed. Further, he has the same nationality as Romero, Julián Alvarez and Diego Simeone. Of course he’s going to be linked with Atleti; he’s aggressive and he’s Argentine.
However, Lisandro’s inconsistency and short stature (he’s 5’9”) make me nervous, and even if he hadn’t spent part of his prime rotting at United, where would he play at Atleti? Is he going to displace Dávid Hancko? No. Hancko is just as comfortable in possession. Is he going to displace Álex Grimaldo? Also no. Is he going to play in defensive midfield? I guess he could, but that doesn’t strike me as ideal.
Still, Atleti are understandably interested in what happens here. Burgos reports that Barcelona are interested in Lisandro too — and it seems to me he is more likely to end up at Camp Nou instead of the Metropolitano.
