Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez reportedly appealed to co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to bring Argentina international Emiliano Martinez to Old Trafford before the goalkeeper eventually joined Chelsea from Aston Villa, according to a report by TeamTalk on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

The report emerges after Lisandro publicly expressed his frustration with United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, following the team’s 2-0 Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.

The Argentine centre-back criticised the club’s summer transfer business, arguing that Wilcox had not met his expectations during the recruitment process. His comments have reportedly created tension between the defender and Manchester United’s leadership.

There have since been suggestions that Martinez could consider leaving the club when the season ends. However, transfer insider Graeme Bailey reported that United were displeased with his public criticism but were not preparing to sell him immediately.

The Athletic reported that Martinez had personally urged Ratcliffe to pursue Emiliano Martinez before Manchester United opted to sign Senne Lammens from Belgian side Royal Antwerp.

United spent £18.2 million, with additional payments included in the deal, to recruit Lammens during the 2025 summer transfer window. Emiliano Martinez subsequently joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in a transfer reportedly worth £7.5 million.

Journalist Laurie Whitwell revealed: “Martinez made representations to Ratcliffe over bringing his Argentina team-mate Emi Martinez to the club last summer, before Senne Lammens was signed instead.”

Meanwhile, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has questioned the way Lisandro handled his concerns, suggesting that he should have spoken to his teammates or addressed the dressing room before making his frustrations public.

Ferdinand said: “I think if I was a player, I'd have liked him to have come to me first or address the dressing room first before he spoke publicly like that.”

The former England international also cautioned that publicly challenging a club’s senior figures can lead to serious consequences. To support his argument, he referenced previous controversies involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Roy Keane.

Ferdinand further suggested that Martinez’s statements could leave recent arrivals, such as Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, wondering whether the defender doubts their quality and contribution to the team.

Despite his concerns, Ferdinand described Martinez as someone who speaks his mind. He also suggested that the defender could address his teammates directly to explain his comments and resolve possible misunderstandings caused by differences in language.

The situation has intensified scrutiny of Manchester United’s transfer decisions and dressing-room dynamics, while questions remain about Martinez’s future at the club following his public criticism of the leadership.