Manchester United could complete Lisandro Martinez deal as early as THURSDAY… after a £46m fee was finally agreed with Ajax for the 5ft 9in centre back with help from Edwin van der Sar
- Manchester United are closing on the £46m signing of Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez
- Martinez has been a major 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 Edwin van der Sar’s help
Manchester United are closing on the £46million signing of Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez, with the deal expected to be completed on Thursday.
Talks have been moving in the right direction through Wednesday, with the Dutch club’s CEO and former United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar helping negotiations along.
Ajax had rejected United’s offer from last week of £42.5m including add-ons but are willing to accept a new proposal following lengthy talks on Wednesday and have already identified Lisandro’s potential replacement in Mykola Matvienko from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Argentina international Lisandro made it clear to the Ajax board that he wished to leave once he became aware of interest from Arsenal then United. He has a strong relationship with United coach Erik ten Hag and the two have spoken in recent weeks.
Manchester United are closing on the £46million signing of Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez
A move to United will see the Argentine reunite with former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag
Lisandro was Ajax’s player of the year last season as Ten Hag delivered the Dutch league title prior to 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.
Though not the tallest centre-back at just 5ft 9ins, Lisandro reads the game well, is good in one-on-one situations and an astute passer of the ball. A fans’ favourite in Amsterdam, he can play at centre-back, left-back and holding midfield where former United defender Jaap Stam believes he could excel.
‘What’s important is that a defender has cleverness,’ said Stam. ‘Lisandro Martinez has developed that. In England, there are a lot of fast attackers who are merciless in counters. So…