Manchester United star Lisandro Martinez has come under scrutiny for his recent comments about the club's recruitment

Lisandro Martinez has consistently demonstrated that he is not afraid to address high-profile figures at Manchester United. The 28-year-old hit out at director of football Jason Wilcox on Tuesday and previously shared his thoughts on Cristiano Ronaldo towards the end of the icon’s second spell at Old Trafford.

The Argentine defender has caused a storm with his comments about the club’s recruitment following a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid. Martinez was left reeling and addressed Wilcox’s recruitment work when discussing United’s lacklustre start to the campaign.

“I have to control myself a lot but sometimes is a reflection of the mirror of how is our club at the moment,” he told Amazon Prime. “We did a fantastic season last season and now we expect more from the top, more players to compete because many teams bring many players as well. Today, Atletico have an amazing team and they deserve to win today.

When asked about recruitment, the centre-back shared his thoughts on United’s summer window: “I expect more [investment]. 100%. I expect more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox]. I have to be honest, as players we have to do more but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night.”

It is not the first time that Martinez has shown his true colours by choosing to address issues during his United career. The Argentina international had only arrived from Ajax months earlier when Ronaldo’s unhappiness under then-manager Erik ten Hag became apparent.

The Portuguese forward had been an unused substitute in a 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur but Ronaldo still stole the headlines as he stormed down the tunnel before the final whistle. When asked about the incident, Martinez said: “I didn't see anything. I don't know. I only enjoy with the people, we won, and that's important.”

While the United star gave a more measured response than his recent outburst, the defender strongly hinted that the team’s achievements were more important than any individual. Despite Ronaldo’s status and star power, Martinez was prepared to speak his mind and emphasised the importance of being a collective.

Ten Hag subsequently left Ronaldo out of his squad for the next league game against Chelsea. The veteran forward made just four more appearances for United before his contract was terminated in November 2022.

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More recently, World Cup winner Martinez entered into a war of words with club legends Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt after the pair questioned his ability to handle Manchester City striker Erling Haaland earlier this year. After United won the Manchester derby in January, the defender chose to hit back and invited Scholes to talk face-to-face.

“Honestly, he (Scholes) can say whatever he wants. I told him already, if he wants to say something to me, he can come to wherever he wants,” the centre-back said. “To my house, wherever. I don't care. Everyone can talk on the television but when you sit here face to face, no one says anything in your face.”

Martinez has proven his willingness to challenge high-profile figures throughout his four-year spell at Old Trafford. It remains to be seen whether the team will respond positively following the defender’s latest comments as United prepare to face Leeds on Sunday.