Manchester United agree £45m transfer fee to sign defender Lisandro Martinez from Ajax - reports
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Published 16/07/2022 at 10:42 GMT
Manchester United are close to landing Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez in a reported £45m deal after a prolonged pursuit for the 24-year-old Argentine defender. After signing Christian Eriksen on a free transfer and Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord, the signing of Martinez would be a key addition for new manager Erik ten Hag. Martinez has reportedly travelled to Manchester for a medical.
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Lisandro Martinez is set to become Manchester United's third signing of the summer after the Red Devils agreed a £45m fee with Ajax, according to reports.
After a prolonged chase for the Argentina international centre back, United now appear to have got their man.
Arsenal were heavily-linked with the 24-year-old in the opening weeks of the transfer window, but bowed out once United's interest became known.
New United manager Erik ten Hag - the former Ajax boss - had prioritised the signing of Martinez.
Martinez, a left-sided defender, reportedly travelled to Manchester on Friday evening ahead of a medical and other formalities necessary to complete his transfer.
He is expected to sign on a five-year contract worth around £120,000-a-week.
The tactical and physical flexibility of Martinez will give Ten Hag more options in his first season at Old Trafford. Martinez, though usually a centre back, can also play at left-back and as a defensive midfielder.
He joins a crowded United back line, where he will rival Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Phil Jones for a starting spot. It is likely that at least a few of those players will depart Old Trafford this summer.
Maguire was deployed on the right side of defence in United's latest friendly, a 4-1 win over Australian A-League side Melbourne Victory, which perhaps suggests that Ten Hag's plan is to position Martinez on the left side of a partnership with the United captain.
United legend Rio Ferdinand was delighted at the apparently imminent signing, telling
"the more I've looked into him and the vibes and the stories I'm hearing and the mutterings from different people – it gets better".
However, Ferdinand did raise potential concerns over Martinez's size and speed. "He is very aggressive, physical and can play. His question marks are his height and his pace - they are the only two."
Although not a guaranteed starter for Argentina, Martinez has won seven caps since making his international debut in 2019. Martinez was a squad member as the Albiceleste won the Copa America last year, and was an unused substitute when they claimed the 2022 Finalissima against Italy earlier this year.
There is uncertainty as to whether Martinez's transfer will be completed in time for him to join his new team-mates on their pre-season tour of Australia. While the BBC's Simon Stone has reported that Martinez will not travel to Australia, De Telegraaf's Mike Verweij says he will.
While United were slow to get going in the transfer market this summer, they have begun to flex their financial muscles. Tyrell Malacia was signed from Feyenoord for €15m while Christian Eriksen joined on a free transfer from Brentford.
Martinez represents easily United's biggest investment of the summer so far.
United have put up impressive results in their pre-season tour so far, beating Liverpool 4-0 and Melbourne Victory 4-1. They face matches against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano before kicking off their Premier League season against Brighton.
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