The pitch written up in Spain is a straightforward one: pair Martinez with his Argentina international teammate Cristian “Cuti” Romero and rebuild Atletico’s back line around a partnership that already works at national-team level. Fichajes.net made the case on Thursday, naming the 28-year-old centre-back an “ideal” addition and marking December 2026 as the month Atletico’s board would need to move.
What has turned a long-standing link into something more concrete is Martinez’s own posture. His contract at Old Trafford runs until June 2027, with a one-year extension option in United’s hands. He has given every public signal that he does not want it triggered.
After Tuesday’s defeat in Madrid, the defender used his post-match slot with Amazon Prime to go further than any senior United player has gone this season.
“I have to control myself a lot, but sometimes it’s a reflection of how our club is at the moment,” he told Amazon Prime, in comments carried by Sky Sports. “We had a fantastic season last season, and now we expect more from the top, from upstairs, to bring in more players to compete because many teams have brought in many players as well.”
Read also: Former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah sets european record that eluded Messi and Ronaldo
Then he named the executive, something Premier League players almost never do.
“I expect more from our technical director. I have to be honest,” Martinez said, referring to Jason Wilcox.
Simeone’s long-standing interest
Atletico’s interest is not new. The Argentine was offered to Simeone’s side ahead of the summer transfer window via El Chiringuito TV reporting in July 2026, and the move stalled rather than died.
Transfer journalist Dean Jones, writing for football365, reported this week that Martinez is “open to the prospect of playing for Diego Simeone’s side” and that the Metropolitano outburst may have been timed, at least in part, to force the issue before the January window.
Read also: “Serious, serious money”: Alan Brazil reveals what he’s heard about Everton takeover
Jones’s sources also suggested the public attack on Wilcox was deliberate, aimed at establishing Martinez’s position before the end of the season.
January, not next summer
The timeline is what has pushed the story back onto the front page. If United do not trigger the one-year option, Martinez will be free to open talks with foreign clubs from 1 January and leave for nothing next summer. A January sale is the only route left to a fee.
Barcelona and Real Madrid have also been mentioned in Spanish coverage, but Atletico is the club that keeps surfacing, and the one Martinez himself is reportedly drawn to.
The decision will come in December, according to the Fichajes.net analysis. Weeks after that, the January window opens.
Read also: Manchester United could lose four key players as contract problems mount
Read also: Virgil van Dijk reveals what Liverpool’s £123m signing is really like behind the scenes
