Manchester United could complete a deal for Lisandro Martinez as early as THURSDAY… after a £46m fee was finally agreed with Ajax for the 5ft 9in centre-back with the help of Edwin van der Sar
- Manchester United have completed the £46m signing of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax
- Martinez is a top target for both Manchester United and Arsenal
- But United and new boss Erik ten Hag have won the race for Martinez
- The deal could be announced as early as Thursday after the help of Edwin van der Sar
By Simon Jones for the Daily Mail
Posted: 22:27, July 13, 2022 | Updated: 22:56, July 13, 2022
Manchester United are closing in on the £46m signing of Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez, with the deal expected to be completed on Thursday.
Talks were moving in the right direction until Wednesday, with the Dutch club’s chief executive and former United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar helping to negotiate.
Ajax rejected last week’s bid from United of £42.5m, including add-ons, but are ready to accept a new offer after lengthy talks on Wednesday and have already identified Lisandro’s potential replacement in Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykola Matvienko.
Argentina international Lisandro has made it clear to the Ajax board that he wants to leave after learning of interest from Arsenal and United. He has a strong relationship with United coach Erik ten Hag and the two have spoken in recent weeks.
Manchester United have completed the £46m signing of Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez
A move to United would see the Argentine reunite with former Ajax boss Erik ten Haag
Lisandro was Ajax’s player of the year last season as Ten Hag brought home the Dutch league title before his departure. Indeed, the 23-year-old defender, whose idol is former United defender Gabriel Heinze, has won three league titles since joining in 2019 from Defensa y Justicia.
Although not the tallest of centre-backs at just 5ft 9in, Lisandro reads the game well, is good in one-on-one situations and a shrewd passer of the ball. A fan favorite in Amsterdam, he can play at centre-back, left-back and holding midfielder, where former United defender Jaap Stam believes he can excel.
“The important thing is that a defenseman is smart,” Stam said. “Lisandro Martinez developed this. England have a lot of fast strikers who are ruthless on the counter. So the important thing is that a defender is smart and clever.
“But because Martinez is comfortable on the ball, he can also play in front of the defence. And I don’t rule out that ten Hag will use it there.
United have six senior defenders on their books and hope to sell up to three, with Axel Tuanzebe, Phil Jones and Eric Bailly the most likely.
Ten Hag saw his United side seal an impressive 4-0 win against Liverpool this week
Bailly has interest from Napoli but was impressive against Liverpool in Tuesday’s friendly and showed he wants to fight for his place.
The 28-year-old wanted out in recent seasons as he believed he was never given a fair chance, although untimely injuries hampered his progress.
United sent 19-year-old Will Fish to Melbourne for the second leg of the tour to provide cover at center as Tuanzebe returned home and full-back Alex Telles was forced into central defense against Liverpool.
Meanwhile, United’s efforts to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona continue to be delayed, despite John Murtaugh and Richard Arnold meeting Barca chiefs this week.
The Dutch midfielder and his representatives are demanding £17million plus wages owed to him by Barca, which he has agreed to defer due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Jaden Sancho (right) was among the goalscorers as United made a solid start to pre-season
Barcelona had planned to pay the money on his contract, which runs until 2026, but the transfer would mean a full payment now.
United hope to complete a deal for Christian Eriksen by the end of this week and have held talks with Ajax for Antony, but the winger’s £68million valuation is prohibitive.
United continue to insist that Ronaldo is not leaving, but it remains unclear whether he will join the squad for the Australian leg of their tour.
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