Martinez outburst Q&A: Wilcox, transfer strategy and what next for United?

Lisandro Martinez's explosive outburst in the aftermath of Man Utd's defeat in Madrid on Tuesday has placed the focus firmly on director of football Jason Wilcox and the club's hierarchy.

Following the 2-0 loss to Atletico, Martinez criticised the lack of summer investment in the squad, adding that he expected more from "upstairs".

Here, Sky Sports News reporters Rob Dorsett and Kaveh Solhekol answer all your questions on the situation.

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'Wilcox retains the full support of his United bosses'

Is Jason Wilcox's position under threat?

Sky Sports News football correspondent Rob Dorsett:

"Jason Wilcox retains the full support of his Manchester United bosses, despite the personal criticism directed at him by Lisandro Martinez.

"The defender's comments reflect the frustrations of some significant sections of the Manchester United fan base, but it is clear that Wilcox is working to a carefully planned transfer strategy that has been sanctioned by the chief executive, Omar Berrada, and the club's co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. While Wilcox is being criticised by groups of supporters and Martinez, his bosses are satisfied with the job he is doing.

"United's hierarchy is determined to stick to their strict spending plans, and will not repeat what they feel are mistakes of the past, where players who weren't key parts of the first team remained stuck on lucrative long contracts. The club's current financial situation dictates that it will take several transfer windows to overhaul the squad fully, and that is the project Wilcox is overseeing.

"The plan is based on much of the intelligence collated by the club's director of data and AI, Michael Sansoni. That data suggested two seasons ago that the best way for United to improve their immediate results was to score more goals - as a bigger priority than the need to concede fewer goals.

"That is why the focus of the 2025 summer transfer window was on strengthening attacking positions - in came Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. In this summer's window, the focus switched to midfield, and United spent £158m on three central midfielders in Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. All three of those players started the Champions League match in Madrid.

"United fans feel strongly that they are lacking a top-quality striker with more experience and a better goalscoring return than Sesko, and also that there has been a long-standing need to strengthen at left-back, with Luke Shaw the only recognised senior left-footed full-back. But United sources insist they simply don't have the resources to solve all of the squad weaknesses in one window. Despite record revenues of £678m in 2025/26, they also made a pre-tax loss of £47m.

"It is clear that the next two transfer windows will focus on strengthening United's defence, where Martinez's future will also be considered."

'One of Martinez's team-mates challenged him as they were getting on the plane back'

Who do you think Martinez's comments were directed at? [Chris]

Rob Dorsett:

"Well, they were clearly directed at, very personally, the director of football Jason Wilcox. But the impression I've got from the people I've been speaking to have suggested to me that there may be an ulterior motive there because Martinez hasn't particularly liked the message he's got back from Manchester United in terms of his contract being extended in the summer.

"But look, if it's a message to the fans, judging by the reaction to the stories I've put out today on social media, he's singing to the choir. The United fans will very much like what Martinez is saying.

"The fans will like that. A lot of fans appreciate that. What I can tell you is that some of his team-mates didn't like it and I can tell you for a fact that at least one of them challenged him as they were getting on the plane to come back from Spain last night because Martinez was suggesting that some of his team-mates aren't good enough and he'd like better replacements. They hadn't done good transfer business.

"I wonder what the three midfielders make of that. Baleba, Santos and Tielemans - Is he referring to them? You know, they'd all have questions to ask of him. There'll be some fallout from this for days to come. It's Michael Carrick's job to try and steady the ship and get them playing football and winning matches again."

Kaveh Solhekol:

"Martinez is just frustrated. He's been at the World Cup in the summer. He's played with Lionel Messi. He got to the World Cup final. He wants to be challenging for trophies at this stage of his career. And he's come back to Manchester United.

"And, they've lost at Hull, who are probably as good as them. Brighton are ahead of them, Brentford are a better side than they are at the moment. And he's showing his frustration."

'Why would players want to go to Manchester United?'

Were the club not able to invest heavily last summer because United spent a year with no European football and no domestic success, so their finances must have been stretched? [Jake]

Sky Sports News chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol:

"According to United's accounts, they had record revenue, even though they weren't in Europe at all. Even though they went from having 30 home games at Old Trafford to only 20 because they got knocked out of both domestic cup competitions as well.

"So despite all that, despite the fact that they're not doing very well on the pitch, their revenues were still a record £678 million pounds.

"I think Martinez knows his history. He knows that historically Manchester United were probably the biggest club in the world along with Real Madrid and Barcelona and they could buy whatever they wanted to buy.

"So Alex Ferguson would just pick up the phone, pick the best players, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, whoever it was, and they were desperate to play for Manchester United.

"That is not the case anymore. You speak to the top players, why would they want to go to Manchester United? They can get more wages at other clubs and they can also win trophies at other clubs. Two things that you're not as likely to get at United at the moment."

'Martinez has done Carrick a bit of a favour'

What will happen to Martinez now? Will he be fined, or even dropped? [Tom]

Rob Dorsett:

"I don't think he'll be dropped because Michael Carrick needs him. As Paul Merson said, this has probably done Carrick a bit of a favour.

"No win in five, two wins in nine all season and from Michael Carrick's perspective, he's got one of his key players coming out and saying 'the manager hasn't been backed enough, he hasn't got enough resources to make us competitive'.

"So I think Carrick won't be unhappy with it. The bosses will be. Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada certainly will be and it remains to be seen whether he will be disciplined.

"I mean technically this is a breach of contract. Technically he could be punished for it, whether that's a fine or whatever. It will be interesting to see whether that's made public or not. It's bound to be a question that Michael Carrick gets asked about in the news conference later this week."

'United can't compete financially with the big guys'

Rob Dorsett:

"Man Utd tried to sign Antoine Semenyo, they tried to sign Elliot Anderson and as soon as the figures that Manchester City were prepared to pay for those players were put on the table to Manchester United, it was like 'we can't get anywhere near that'.

"That is the financial reality of where United are and I think there's a bit of a disparity in terms of where Manchester United were as one of, if not the biggest club in the world, and all the successes that they had and a fan base that got used to that.

"The fanbase now is quite understandably a little bit annoyed that that's not where Manchester United are now and they can't compete financially with the big guys."

'United's problem has been they're not making money from selling players'

Is Martinez right, did United spend significantly less than their rivals last summer? [Katie]

Kaveh Solhekol:

"Look at the total spend and what all the other clubs did. I don't think they spent massively less than their rivals. If you look at the headline figures, you'll think Manchester City spent more than £400m. United spent about £120m.

"But the big, big difference is that Manchester City make a lot of money from selling players. Chelsea make a lot of money from selling players.

"The problem at United has been that they're not making money from selling players because of past mistakes that have been made in the transfer market and because their academy does not produce the kind of players for a whole variety of reasons that the academies at Chelsea and Manchester City produce as well.

"So I don't think it's a case of United not spending any money at all. I think it's more complicated than that. It always is, isn't it?"

'United still have a number of players they need to move on'

Losing Casemiro was huge and we didn't replace him - do you think squad is weaker this season than last? [N47H]

Rob Dorsett:

"They did replace Casemiro. Casemiro left and Manchester United were left with one central midfield player in Kobbie Mainoo. They spent £156m on three central midfield players in Baleba, Santos and Tielemans.

"Baleba is an example that Manchester United would shout out and say, 'this is what we have to do, this is what we're trying to do. We were quoted £105m by Brighton the season before to sign him. We weren't prepared to pay that, we couldn't afford to pay that. We wait 12 months, we get him for £70m'. So they have strengthened that midfield.

"I think the squad is stronger, but they've still got a number of players they need to move on. And their strategy is very clear that they will try and strengthen, in the next transfer windows, the defence. And I totally understand the Manchester United supporters' frustration that they went into this season with one recognised senior left-back, Luke Shaw, with more games than they had last season.

"And given all of Luke Shaw's injury problems, there's a problem there. You've got Dorgu and Mazraoui are also injured, United haven't got a left back. It's a major problem for Michael Carrick.

"But the reality is United are not going to make the mistakes that they made in the past. They weren't going to buy a stop-gap left back to come in and cover any problems that Luke Shaw would have. And then be stuck with that left back on big wages when they buy what they would consider a better left back in the transfer windows to come.

"So they're interested in Lewis Hall, they're interested in Myles Lewis-Skelly. The hard facts are they couldn't afford them in the last transfer window. And they will try and go after that calibre of player again in the windows to come."

'United have made a lot of mistakes in the transfer window since Ferguson left'

Are Man Utd not the second highest net spenders in the last five years, second only to Chelsea? [Freshman Dan]

Kaveh Solhekol:

"Net spend? That may well be... But, you know, they've made a lot of mistakes in the transfer window since Sir Alex Ferguson left. Obviously, the people in charge now were trying to address those mistakes.

"But the bottom line is United are just not that special anymore. Ten years ago, they were the richest club in the world. They were at the top of the Deloitte Money League. Now they are eighth, miles behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. Ten, 20 years ago, United could compete to buy the best players in the world. That is just not the situation now.

"If you were one of the best players in the world, why would you go to Manchester United? And I think that is one of the reasons why Martinez is so frustrated."

'Last season was a freak for United'

How can the same players play so well at the end of last season be so poor at the start of this season? [Cahal Gilmore]

Rob Dorsett:

"That's a really good question. I don't have the answer to that. Michael Carrick probably doesn't have the answer to that. Look, the practicality is last season was a bit of a freak season for Manchester United.

"They were knocked out of the League Cup at the first stage. They were knocked out of the FA Cup very early. They didn't have European football. They only had the Premier League to focus on.

"And the fragility in their squad, the lack of depth in their squad was not exposed. It's as simple as that. We all knew that coming into this season, with European football back, with them hoping to make some cup runs, with more games, that was going to be difficult for them.

"And maybe that's what we're seeing the start of here. I mean, look, in any other game, Harry Maguire would have started last night, but he's 33 years old and they have to manage his minutes. He can't play Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday with a journey to Spain in between as well.

"So, he's probably been rested with Leeds United at the weekend in mind. But United made mistakes in defence. Defensively, it cost them the game. So, Carrick's absolutely right.

"It feels like United are trying to build something for the future, but it's going to be painful while they do so. And we're going to see all that pain on the pitch, unfortunately."