Manchester United teammates widely share Martínez view that Wilcox is failing
Manchester United players share Lisandro Martínez’s frustration with the club’s recruitment and lack of squad depth, particularly after a poor start to the season. Following Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid, the defender publicly criticised director of football Jason Wilcox, saying the club needed to invest more.
United have won only twice this season and taken six points from their first six Premier League matches, their worst league start in 40 years. Wilcox spent £155m on three midfielders in the last transfer window, while the squad is puzzled that other positions were not strengthened, especially left-back, where injury-prone Luke Shaw is the only senior option. Martínez is out of contract next summer and is understood to favour a move to a top European club outside the Premier League.
- United players share Martínez’s concerns about recruitment.
- The club has won twice this season.
- Martínez may leave when his contract expires.
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Manchester United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, helps shape the club’s squad and transfer plans. Lisandro Martínez is a defender who joined United in 2022; players are reported to share his concerns about recruitment and the depth of the squad.
United signed three midfielders in the last transfer window, but left-back remains a thinly covered position, with Luke Shaw the only senior option there. Squad depth matters because injuries can leave a team short of replacements over a long season, while Martínez’s contract is due to expire next summer.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Players frustrated by recruitment can reasonably argue that a thin squad and unaddressed weaknesses, such as left-back, leave the team vulnerable when injuries or poor form hit. Given United’s poor start and the scale of the club’s ambitions, they may see further investment and clearer squad planning as necessary to compete.
The case against
Wilcox’s decisions can be defended on the grounds that recruitment must balance several needs within financial and squad constraints, and that £155m spent on three midfielders represents a substantial commitment. A poor run of results does not by itself show that the strategy is failing; adding more players without careful assessment could create new costs or weaken the squad’s balance.