Man Utd set to admit Martinez was right as chiefs draw up transfer plan

Manchester United plan to address their issues in defence next summer - and have added Bournemouth left-back Adrien Truffert to their list of targets. United have conceded a concerning 15 goals in their first seven games of the season and manager Michael Carrick has been dealt several injury blows in his backline.

As a consequence, club chiefs such as director of football Jason Wilcox have come under fire for not signing a defender in the summer transfer window. Lisandro Martinez poured fuel on the flames last week when he accused United of not doing enough to bolster Carrick's squad on their return to the Champions League.

His decision to heavily criticise his employers - including calling out Wilcox - divided pundits and supporters, with some arguing that the Argentine shouldn't have spoken out. Most agreed, however, that his comments had merit.

United's failure to sign a left-back has been exposed two months into the new season, with an injury to Luke Shaw forcing Ayden Heaven and Diogo Dalot to play out of position. Shaw is notably one of the eight players who are set to miss Wednesday's trip to Como.

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The i Paper report that senior figures at Old Trafford recognise they should've addressed their defence in the summer. United were keen on signing Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall, but the England international proved to be out of their price range.

That's why Truffert, 24, is now on the Red Devils' shortlist, with United said to be long-time admirers of the Frenchman. Truffert is enjoying his second season at Bournemouth after the Cherries paid Rennes £14.4m to sign him in June 2025.

Centre-back is also a position which United will focus on, with Martinez and Harry Maguire in their final year of their deals. The report states that they'll sign at least one central defender and could target a second if Martinez leaves amid interest from Atletico Madrid.

Who should Manchester United sign? Let us know your picks in the comments section.

Matthijs de Ligt was brought in to be United's marquee centre-back two years ago, but a back injury has kept the 27-year-old out of action for 12 months. De Ligt's first start since last October could come against Como, with Daniel Armer the only other recognised centre-back spotted in training before United flew to Italy on Tuesday.