Martinez apologises and is fined as Man Utd prepare for Leeds, Kane close to Bayern extension until 2029

Manchester United's troubled start to the season took a turn on Thursday night: Lisandro Martinez apologised and accepted a fine for publicly criticising the club's hierarchy, and the team immediately turned its attention to the weekend league match at Leeds. Meanwhile, the transfer and contract market continued to heat up, with Harry Kane close to extending at Bayern Munich until 2029 and movements involving Arda Guler, Alex Scott and others. ^[2][6][1]

Martinez apologises and is fined as Man Utd's internal storm subsides

After Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League away defeat at Atletico Madrid, Martinez publicly criticised the club's lack of summer investment and singled out technical director Jason Wilcox. On Thursday he met with club hierarchy including Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada, as well as head coach Michael Carrick, and released a statement that night apologising, saying the frustration of the defeat led him to express how he felt at a time and place that perhaps were not the right ones, and stressing that the club is at its best when everyone is united. ^[2][6]

According to Sky Sports News, the public apology was Martinez's own decision, he has been fined by the club, and the specific disciplinary process and internal talks will remain private, with United believing the matter is over. Notably, he had clarified the comments on Wednesday but did not apologise at that point; reports said at least one team-mate confronted him after the comments, and Carrick had to deal with the extra distraction in preparation. ^[2]

The storm easing does not mean the outlook is clear. Martinez's contract expires at the end of the season, the club holds a 12-month extension option, but no decision has been made on triggering it, and his long-term future at Old Trafford remains in obvious doubt; United great Roy Keane described the team's situation as a 'mess'. ^[6]

Carrick under pressure before Leeds trip

Carrick will hold a press conference on Friday before taking his team to Elland Road for a 14:00 kick-off against Leeds on Sunday. The pressure is clear: United have won only two of nine matches in all competitions this season and have six points from six Premier League games, sitting 13th; whether Martinez plays in this match is also to be decided. ^[6][5]

BBC Sport expert Chris Sutton was blunt in his assessment: 'I cannot remember the last time Leeds were seen as favourites going into this fixture but I do not fancy Manchester United's chances at all. Leeds are just a much more rounded team. Their fans must be relishing this game.' For Carrick, with the dressing-room mood just tested, the result will directly shape how the external narrative around him develops. ^[4]

Kane close to Bayern extension until 2029

According to Sky Sports, 33-year-old England striker Harry Kane has reached an agreement in principle with Bayern Munich on a new contract, with the club finalising the paperwork on an extension until summer 2029. Bayern drew with Viking in the Champions League this week, a match that also featured a red card for Michael Olise, and the Kane renewal news is a more important sign of stability for Munich amid on-field fluctuations. ^[1][3]

Renewals and transfers: from Madrid to Merseyside

At Real Madrid, 21-year-old Turkey international Arda Guler has agreed a new contract after Arsenal and Manchester City showed interest in the summer. Newcastle United's 31-year-old winger Jacob Murphy is out of contract next summer and the two sides are close to agreeing a one-year extension. ^[1]

Other market movements are just as busy: 22-year-old Italy midfielder Issa Doumbia joined Sporting from Venezia in the summer for 26m euros and has an 80m euro release clause, with a number of Premier League clubs monitoring him. Liverpool are considered to be leading the race for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, with the 23-year-old England international valued at £100m; in addition, a number of Premier League clubs came to the Vitality Stadium on Thursday to watch 19-year-old Austria midfielder Jacob Hodl as Sturm Graz played away there. ^[1]

Up front, 27-year-old Leeds United player Lukas Nmecha has yet to renew, wants more playing time, and his contract expires next summer, with the allocation of minutes set to directly affect the talks. ^[1]

Champions League night: PSG and Barca strong, Rayo's paper planes

In the past Champions League week, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona beat Manchester City and Galatasaray respectively, and on the BBC's European football podcast Julien Laurens and Raphael Honigstein discussed whether those two clubs are now the favourites for this season's Champions League. Bayern's draw with Viking was also discussed, with Olise's red card among the topics. ^[3]

Off the pitch, Rayo Vallecano's match against Athletic Club was interrupted when fans threw paper planes and bouncy balls onto the pitch, making it one of the most talked-about episodes in La Liga this round. ^[3]

Other threads in English football: Wrexham and Ipswich

In the Championship, Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson is under growing pressure, and if the job becomes vacant, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is open to it, quickly turning the team's fluctuating results into a managerial question. ^[1]

Promoted Ipswich offer a different contrast: in 2024-25 they needed 19 matches and did not get their third Premier League win until 30 December, while this season the heavily rebuilt side under Gary O'Neil has matched that win tally after only six games, with two of those wins coming via late goals. ^[4]

Boxer and Ipswich fan Fabio Wardley will face Daniel Dubois in a rematch at London's O2 Arena on Saturday, after Dubois stopped him in the 11th round of their first fight in May. ^[4]

Turbulence and stability side by side

Taken together, these threads show the early-season Premier League and European giants moving at two speeds: United are seeking stability between results pressure and dressing-room turbulence, with Martinez's apology only a short-term fix and his contract option and Carrick's position remaining the variables to watch in the coming weeks; on the squad-building side, Bayern have tied Kane down with a contract to 2029, while Real Madrid, Newcastle and Liverpool are accelerating renewals and recruitment, and talks and valuation battles before the winter window will keep heating up. The weekend league fixtures and the next Champions League matches will be the first test of these changes. ^[2][6][1][3]