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Report: Injury-prone Man United player offered to Atletico Madrid

15 July 2026 at 09:10

Manchester United’s defensive planning has come under fresh scrutiny after reports in Spain linked one of Michael Carrick’s most trusted centre-backs with Atlético Madrid.

The Argentine remains highly regarded at Old Trafford, but his injury record and contract situation mean the club may eventually face a difficult decision.

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A departure would still be surprising. His aggression, leadership and ability to play progressive passes from defence give United qualities that are not easily replaced.

However, with only one guaranteed year remaining on his deal, the club cannot completely ignore outside interest or allow uncertainty to continue deep into the new season.

Atletico link raises questions over Man United future

According to El Chiringuito TV, Lisandro Martínez has been offered to Atlético Madrid while representing Argentina at the World Cup.

The report does not clarify whether United initiated the approach, whether intermediaries are testing the market or whether Atlético intend to submit a formal proposal.

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Martínez’s original transfer announcement on Man United’s official website confirmed that he signed until June 2027, with the club holding an option to extend his contract for another season.

That clause means United are not under immediate pressure to sell, although discussions about his longer-term future should become a priority.

Contract and fitness could define his next step

The biggest concern remains his availability. Martínez has endured several significant injury setbacks since arriving from Ajax, preventing him from building consistent momentum despite his importance when fit.

Carrick has continued to support him publicly. Sky Sports showed the United manager strongly defending Martínez following a controversial red card in April, underlining the trust that appears to exist between the pair.

United should reject any approach unless Atlético submit a major offer and Martínez makes it clear that he wants to leave.

When fully fit, he remains one of the club’s best defenders and provides personality that would be difficult to replace.

The smartest move would be to retain control through the extension clause and begin renewal talks. Selling an influential defender without a clear replacement would create another problem in a squad Carrick is still rebuilding.

Club director “stunned” by Manchester United transfer decision

The post Report: Injury-prone Man United player offered to Atletico Madrid appeared first on CaughtOffside.

“Fresh contacts” – Arsenal have directly approached Atletico Madrid over Julian Alvarez

14 July 2026 at 23:04

Arsenal have reportedly had fresh contacts over a potential transfer deal for Julian Alvarez, though there remains an issue with Atletico Madrid’s valuation.

The Gunners have been linked several times with the Argentina international, and it seems this story is not going away.

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According to Di Marzio journalist Luca Bendoni, Arsenal have had direct contact with Atletico over possibly signing Alvarez, while Barcelona are also still heavily involved in this transfer saga.

See below for details…

There are direct fresh contacts between the ownership at Arsenal and Atleti regarding a possible transfer. There is still a gap in the valuation of the Argentine. W/@HandofArsenal #AFC

Per @SkySportsLyall FC Barcelona are still heavily involved on the topic. pic.twitter.com/I9h0sL4RPM

— Luca Bendoni (@LucaBendoni) July 14, 2026

“There are direct fresh contacts between the ownership at Arsenal and Atleti regarding a possible transfer. There is still a gap in the valuation of the Argentine,” Bendoni posted on X.

This information was shared with the reliable Hand of Arsenal account, and there’s further information on Alvarez and other Arsenal targets there.

More on Julian Alvarez and other Arsenal transfer targets

According to HoA, AFC manager Mikel Arteta is really keen on Alvarez and views the 26-year-old as a potentially transformative signing for the north London giants.

Julian Alvarez

– From my last update, every single point still remains true
– Arteta sees Julian as a major marquee transformational signing
– There are direct fresh contacts between the ownership at Arsenal and Atleti regarding a possible transfer. There is still a gap in the…

— HandofArsenal (@HandofArsenal) July 14, 2026

It seems Atletico are also really not keen to sell Alvarez to rivals Barca, so that could end up benefiting Arsenal, as long as they’re prepared to pay up.

Alvarez scored 20 goals in 49 games in all competitions last season, which was actually less than Viktor Gyokeres scored for Arsenal.

Still, most fans would surely agree that Alvarez’s all-round qualities would likely make him a significant upgrade on Gyokeres and also on the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

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Alvarez is also Premier League-proven from his time at Manchester City, so this wouldn’t be too big a culture shock for him.

Whether or not that makes him worth paying such huge money for remains to be seen, especially when Arsenal also seem to have other big targets.

As HoA notes, the Premier League champions also want Morgan Rogers and Bruno Guimaraes, so unless they make several big sales this is all going to be very tricky to do in line with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

The post “Fresh contacts” – Arsenal have directly approached Atletico Madrid over Julian Alvarez appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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