Manchester United close to signing £50m rated Ajax defender

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By Martin Graham | 15th Jul 2022

Manchester United seem to have broken the resolve of Ajax over the signing of Lisandro Martinez. The Dutch giants were holding out for £50 million but are willing to accept a lower fee.

The Red Devils are keen on having a good season and are going out to ensure new manager Erik Ten Hag gets all he wants to do the job. The club seems to be putting everything in place to avoid excuses or to exempt the board from blame if Manchester United still fails this season.

Buoyed by the 4-0 win over Liverpool in a Bangkok friendly, Manchester United have continued to go for the targets Ten Hag requested. So far, only Tyrell Malacia has walked through the door.

The Red Devils seem determined to overcome all obstacles. One of the issues before the board is the desire of Cristiano Ronaldo to leave the club. Manchester United are keen to keep the Portuguese star even as they continue the pursuit of their targets.

Frenkie de Jong and Lisandro Martinez are two players that are high up United’s wishlist. Recent updates show that the pursuit of Lisandro Martinez is close to yielding dividends.

Man United on the heels of Martinez

Manchester United want to avoid the failings of last season that saw the team finish sixth in the Premier League. The Red Devils want to shore up their defence, a department that let in so many goals, with Harry Maguire as the chief culprit.

Erik ten Hag has made Lisandro Martinez a priority and hopes to get the Ajax defender to Old Trafford this summer. According to reports, United are close to signing the player from Ajax. The news in the British media indicates a deal is close to being done as Ajax are now willing to accept a fee lower than their asking price.

The Telegraph reports that Ajax was holding out for around £50 million for the Argentine defender. The Red Devils may have broken their resolve and are about to land the player for £46 million. The Mirror takes a different headline and claims that the deal is already in the bag.

Whatever the media reports, a deal is close to being signed, with renowned journalist, David McDonnell claiming Ajax are willing to accept United’s offer.

What Lisandro offers

It is unusual for a defender to be below 5 ft 11, but at 5 ft 9, Martinez will become the shortest centre-back in the Premier League, if he eventually turns up at Manchester United. Despite his short height, he is commanding in the air.

Lisandro Martinez was named the Ajax Player of the Year last term. The 24-year-old was in top form as the Dutch side won the Eredivisie with Erik Ten Hag in charge.

Martinez has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. The Argentine international is adept at different positions. He can effectively play either as a left-back or a central defensive midfielder.

With Manchester United already signing Tyrell Malacia for the left-back position, they still need a holding midfielder to replace the departed Nemanja Matic. The Serbian left Old Trafford this summer to join former manager at Chelsea and United Jose Mourinho. He will play for AS Roma in the Europa League.

According to McDonnell, the arrival of Martinez means that either Eric Bailly, Tuanzebe or Phil Jones could leave Old Trafford this summer.