Man United gives Martinez fitness ultimatum or risk summer sale

Manchester United have given Lisandro Martinez a clear fitness ultimatum: prove he can stay injury‑free or risk being sold next summer. The club signed the Argentine centre‑back from Ajax for £57 million in 2022 after Erik ten Hag brought him over from the Dutch side. In his first season Martinez played 45 games and helped United win the Carabao Cup, but since then he has missed 65 Premier League matches over three seasons due to various injuries. A further setback came during Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain, which disrupted his pre‑season preparations. He was an unused substitute in United’s Premier League opener against Hull City on Saturday and will be looking for minutes when newly promoted Ipswich Town visit Old Trafford this weekend. Martinez is now in the final year of his contract, with United holding a one‑year extension option that they may or may not activate. The manager and backroom staff still rate him highly, but talkSPORT reports they expect him to ‘demonstrate his ability to remain fit’ or face a possible sale. For Nigerian fans who follow the Premier League, this situation could affect United’s defensive depth and influence transfer market moves involving other Argentine defenders.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/08/26/transfer-manchester-united-issue-ultimatum-to-lisandro-martinez/