Lisandro Martínez has issued a public apology to Manchester United's director of football, Jason Wilcox, after criticising the club's summer transfer business in the aftermath of Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid.

The climbdown followed a meeting on Thursday between the 28-year-old defender, manager Michael Carrick and senior club officials. United have not disclosed whether any punishment will be made public, though it is understood Martínez has been fined for his comments.

The apology marks a significant reversal from Martínez, who had initially declined to express regret when he released a statement on Wednesday addressing the fallout from his remarks. It was only after Thursday's talks that he chose to publicly soften his stance.

Writing on Instagram, Martínez explained his change of heart. "Today I met with the club's leadership and the manager. It was a very positive conversation, where we were able to exchange views and speak openly about what happened after Tuesday's game," he wrote. He went on to acknowledge his emotional reaction to the loss, adding: "Everyone knows that I am a passionate person and that I live football with great intensity. The frustration of the defeat led me to express how I felt at a time and place that perhaps were not the right ones, and for that I want to apologise."

The original comments, delivered in the wake of the defeat in Madrid, were pointed in their criticism of United's recruitment strategy. Martínez had suggested the squad was not adequately reinforced to compete at the highest level. "I expect more [investment], 100%. I expect more from our technical director [Wilcox]," he said at the time. "As players we have to do more but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night. Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team."

Martínez also suggested that Carrick had not received sufficient backing from the club's hierarchy, a claim that added further tension to an already difficult period at Old Trafford. "I don't think so. He does his best. You can't keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas?" the defender said.

United sources indicate that Martínez made the decision to apologise independently, without being instructed to do so. Nonetheless, the episode has exposed underlying frustration among the playing squad regarding the club's transfer approach. United committed £155m during the summer window, but the spending was concentrated entirely on midfield reinforcements — Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba — despite Wilcox having identified left-back as a priority position to strengthen.

Reports suggest that sentiment within the dressing room largely aligns with Martínez's original assessment, with players said to share his disappointment over the business conducted last summer. This discontent comes against the backdrop of a troubling start to the campaign for Carrick's side, who have collected just six points from their opening six Premier League fixtures — United's worst return at this stage of a season since 1986.

Adding to the pressure on the manager, United have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup, suffering an early exit at the hands of Brighton. With results failing to match expectations and internal tensions now spilling into public view, scrutiny on both Carrick and the club's recruitment department appears set to intensify in the coming weeks.

Based on reporting from Guardian Football.