Manchester United move into pole position to sign Lisandro Martinez as Ajax demand £43m

 

Despite Manchester United being the favorite to capture Lisandro Martinez, he has not ruled out a move to Arsenal.

The in-demand Ajax defender is holding out for almost £43 million after his club has already turned down two proposals from Arsenal.

The initial offer was for £30 million, and the second, earlier this week rejected offer, was for £38 million plus add-ons.

It is obvious that Mikel Arteta really wants the 24-year-old center back as a part of his new-look project, but according to sources in Holland, United is expected to make a strong push for the Argentina international over the weekend, and the attraction of Erik ten Hag would tip any bidding war in their favor.

After Tyrell Malacia and Frenkie de Jong, Martinez is thought to be the next target for Ten Hag and is very high on their wish list. United, on the other hand, has insisted that they must first sell defenders because players like Axel Tuanzebe, Eric Bailly, and Phil Jones are all eager for new opportunities.

According to Sportsmail, Martinez is open to any scenario and hasn't ruled out moving to Arsenal should they manage to clinch a deal with Ajax.

Martinez, who has seven caps and can play left back or center back, is now on vacation but is keeping up with news about his future and would want to play in the Premier League for any team.

However, he is still devoted to Ajax in the interim and respects the opportunity they have provided him since his transfer from Defensa y Justica in 2019.

Malacia, a left-back for Feyenoord, is the target of United's advanced negotiations. De Jong's contract will also be finalized over the weekend as United and Barcelona finalize the structure of payment and bonuses on top of a base price of about £56 million.

In his first week of practice, United athletes have been trying to win over Ten Hag, with members of the club's Under 23 team seeking to secure a spot on the first team trip.

Another 13 players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Raphael Varane, Diogo Dalot, Eric Bailly, and James Garner, who Nottingham Forest is interested in, are scheduled to return on Monday after international duty.