Man United 'ready' to let defender leave who is 'nowhere near good enough'

Manchester United could be prepared to let Lisandro Martinez leave in 2027 as he edges closer to the end of his contract.

The 28-year-old is still part of Michael Carrick's plans, having started the last two games, but doubts are creeping in about his inconsistent performances at Old Trafford.

Mistakes in games, like against Ipwsich, and a patchy injury record could force the club to make a decision about his long-term future with a potential exit in mind.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that the club have "doubts" about Martinez despite him still being highly regarded behind the scenes.

The Argentina international's contract is set to expire in 2027, leading to question marks over his future as the Red Devils will be forced to make a decision.

However, the club do have an option to extend Martinez's contract by one year, which they could take up before looking to cash in next summer, rather than letting him leave for free.

Could Man United look to sell Lisandro Martinez?

Brown told Football Insider in July that Man United had not ruled out selling Martinez in the summer after holding internal talks over his long-term future.

Growing concerns about his recurring injury issues could push the club to cut their losses amid interest from a number of clubs across Europe.

It would be a surprise to see Martinez allowed to leave Old Trafford on a free, with his contract situation up in the air, but there are doubts about how long he could stay.

"Lisandro Martinez is going to be one to watch, there are a few doubts about him," Brown told Football Insider.

"He's too inconsistent, and that's a problem if he starts giving away goals like the one against Ipswich where he was lucky that the game was already done at that point.

"It's nowhere near good enough for an international-class defender to get caught out trying to play the ball across your own box.

"Mistakes like that give you question marks about whether he can be relied upon at the back for a team who are trying to make progress and trying to establish themselves again.

"Plus, he's had his injury issues, which have been a concern for Man United and we've spoken before that it's not exactly a good sign.

"It would obviously be a bit of a shock to let him go for free, because he's still highly regarded and could do a job for a lot of clubs, but I'm not convinced his long-term future is at Man United."

Will Man United hand Martinez a new contract?

Speculation surrounding Martinez's future comes after he has entered the final year of his contract at Man United, with his deal set to expire in June 2027.

Questions have been asked about the centre-back's future at the club after a string of injury issues, despite his regular place in Carrick's first-team plans.

Football Insider revealed on 7 September that Man United are planning to trigger the one-year extension in Martinez's contract, with the player keen to extend his stay.

However, the club are still weighing up whether to hand him a longer deal to take his stay beyond 2028, as it remains a possibility they could look to cash in next summer.

Interest from a number of clubs both in Europe and Saudi Arabia is expected to linger, with Martinez is battling to prove his fitness to Carrick.