Jason Wilcox faces scrutiny at Manchester United after Martínez criticism following Atlético defeat
Jason Wilcox, Manchester United’s director of football recruitment, has come under intensifying scrutiny at Old Trafford after Lisandro Martínez publicly criticised him following United’s defeat at Atlético Madrid, in an article published on 14 October 2026. The criticism has been echoed by other club figures frustrated by recruitment and squad performance.
Wilcox arrived at Old Trafford in April 2024 after less than a year as director of football at Southampton, having previously worked in youth development and as Manchester City’s academy director. He is a former Blackburn and Leeds winger whose executive rise was accelerated when Dan Ashworth, the sporting director he was to work under, lasted only five months under Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Omar Berrada’s appointment as chief executive — a figure Wilcox had worked with at City — was a key factor in his recruitment to United.
Lisandro Martínez, who is 28, has a World Cup winner’s medal and spent three years at Ajax learning club structure; after United’s defeat at Atlético he strongly criticised Wilcox and is not alone in his views. The article states Martínez was not speaking only for himself and that others at the club “expect” more from a director of football, with players increasingly frustrated and unwilling to attribute all failures to Michael Carrick.
The piece highlights United’s league position and recent form as evidence of recruitment shortcomings, noting the club sits 13th in the Premier League after one win from six matches. It argues that, aside from a possible exception in Senne Lammens, Wilcox has not overseen signings that have markedly increased in value and that there are many sporting directors perceived as more capable of finding undervalued talent.
Specific missed opportunities are cited: Wilcox was offered the chance to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest a year before the midfielder signed for Manchester City but decided against moving for him, leaving Anderson to grow in value and move out of United’s price range. The article also questions returns on recent spending given Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s business-led approach to the club.
Wilcox played a leading role in the recruitment of Ruben Amorim, a partnership the piece describes as an experiment that failed when the head coach lacked the players to implement his style and when relations between Amorim and Wilcox broke down over tactics and other issues. That breakdown is presented alongside concerns from staff about an influx of former City Football Group appointments and unease at attempts to model aspects of United on a rival club.
The summer transfer window is examined in detail: Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba arrived from top-flight English clubs for a combined £155m as part of a midfield overhaul after Casemiro’s departure, while Manuel Ugarte, currently injured, never reached the required level. The article says that spending on midfielders left no funds for a left-back or a backup striker, and points to the defeat at Atlético — when Carrick deployed 20-year-old Ayden Heaven out of position to cover for Luke Shaw — as illustrative of squad shallowness.
Ratcliffe, identified as the minority owner, is quoted defending Wilcox: “When I listen to Jason speak, I get what he’s saying,” he told the Times in March 2025. “He’s a warm character, he’s got a sense of humour, he knows what he’s talking about.” The two are often seen discussing matters at matches, and the article notes the pair’s close relationship and that Ratcliffe once said Wilcox had the “best eyes in the club” but “he cannot be blinded by the truth.”
With finances likely to be tight in January, planning is said to be focused on next summer, and the piece warns that if results remain substandard Ratcliffe and Berrada will be forced to consider their options. Any decision to remove Wilcox would, the article asserts, be widely popular but also amount to an admission of failure from the club’s leadership.