Atletico Madrid are the next stop in Lisandro Martinez’s career, if the player gets his way. The 28-year-old Argentine has reached an agreement in principle on personal terms with the Spanish side, according to Football365, with talks described as advanced on the player’s side even though no club-to-club deal has been reached.

Martinez’s current contract at Old Trafford runs until the summer of 2027. Manchester United hold a one-year option, but the defender does not want it triggered, and the Argentina international is expected to push for a move once the window opens.

The timing matters for Manchester United as much as it does for the player. Allowing Martinez to run down his deal would mean losing him for nothing in six months; a January sale is the last realistic chance to generate a fee. Atletico are among several clubs tracking the defender alongside Barcelona and a trio of Serie A sides, and he could fetch a healthy price, the People’s Person reports.

Carrick’s defense under scrutiny

Michael Carrick’s side have not been flattered by Martinez this season. He conceded a penalty and was sent off against Chelsea, and United legends have lined up to criticize his form. Gary Neville told Sky Sports: “Every time I watch him for Manchester United he’s at fault for a goal.”

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Paul Scholes went further, arguing Martinez is “never going to be a Man Utd centre-half that’s going to be successful.”

Selling the defender in the middle of a season when Luke Shaw has managed only five appearances and Matthijs de Ligt is working back from a long-term injury carries obvious risk. The People’s Person argued the sale makes “very little sense” given United’s defensive shortages. But without the financial boost of Champions League football, the club has little room to add without subtracting first.

Ait-Nouri open to crossing Manchester

The money raised from Martinez’s exit is earmarked for a left-back and a striker. Rayan Ait-Nouri is the name at the top of the first list. The 25-year-old Algeria international has agreed personal terms with United, according to GiveMeSport, and his situation at Manchester City has grown untenable: one start in all competitions and zero Premier League minutes under Enzo Maresca.

Maresca has been candid about where Ait-Nouri fits in his thinking. “In this moment, I see him more winger than full-back,” the Italian told reporters, per GiveMeSport, an assessment that has left the player hunting for regular football elsewhere.

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United tried to sign him on summer deadline day, but City’s demand for an obligation-to-buy clause killed the deal. A straight transfer in January now looks the more viable route, with the Daily Mirror reporting Ait-Nouri is open to the cross-city switch.

Toney wanted back from Saudi Arabia

The striker search centers on Ivan Toney. The 30-year-old is operating at nearly a goal a game for Al-Ahli and is reportedly open to a return to England, TeamTalk reports, citing Flashscore’s Dean Jones. United would prefer a loan to a permanent deal, a structure that would keep the wage bill in check while Benjamin Sesko recovers from injury and Joshua Zirkzee continues to struggle for consistency.

Jones summed up the wider picture bluntly: “There is an acknowledgement that United cannot simply keep adding to the wage bill and spending heavily without making progress on outgoings.”

The transfer window opens on 1 January.

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