It took a while to get going but Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United rebuild is gathering momentum with Lisandro Martinez set to join in a £55m deal from Ajax.
The 24-year-old Argentine becomes the club’s third recruit of the summer, following Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord and Christian Eriksen who agreed to a three-year deal after his short-term contract with Brentford expired at the end of June.
Martinez, who was also tracked by Arsenal, is well accustomed to Ten Hag’s methods having worked alongside the new United boss for three years in Amsterdam. The Argentina international was handed the unenviable task of filling Matthijs De Ligt’s boots upon his arrival from Defensa y Justicia in 2019 but steadily grew in stature, earning the club’s Player of the Year award last season.
While in the Eredivisie, Martinez filled in a number of roles including as a screening midfielder and at left-back, but he nominally played as a left-sided central defender, particularly in his final campaign as Ajax reclaimed the title. Martinez started 23 of Ajax’s 34 league games, all of which were in the heart of the back four.
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Considering United conceded more Premier League goals (57) than relegated Burnley (53) last season, the expectation is that he will predominantly be utilised in his favoured position. There may be occasions where Martinez is required to play higher up, but with Eriksen signed up and a fee agreed with Barcelona for Frenkie De Jong, Ten Hag is unlikely to have a shortage of central midfielders to choose from.
Martinez is also the only natural left-footer among United’s current centre-back options and given Ten Hag is eager to usher in a more expansive playing style at Old Trafford that begins in defence, he could have an important part to play in setting attacking moves in motion down that side of the pitch. In 2021-22, Martinez completed 89 per cent of his passes – higher than any of his positional rivals at Old Trafford managed.
Interestingly, the left-sided position is where Harry Maguire has been deployed throughout his three seasons at the club and stylistically, the pair are total opposites; Martinez is a ball-playing, mobile defender who is relatively small for a centre-back at only 5’9, while Maguire has a more traditional build and is expected to dominate aerial duels.
Man Utd’s centre-back spending since 2016
- Eric Bailly – £30m from Villarreal (2016)
- Victor Lindelof – £31m from Benfica (2017)
- Harry Maguire – £80m from Leicester (2019)
- Raphael Varane – £41m from Real Madrid (2021)
- Lisandro Martinez – £55m from Ajax (2022)
Ten Hag has confirmed that Maguire will remain United’s club captain, but perhaps for the first time since joining from Leicester three years ago, the England international’s starting position for his club is now under serious threat.
Martinez’s transfer also brings United’s costly spending on central defenders in recent years under the spotlight: since the 2016 summer transfer window, they have spent just short of £250m on five centre-backs, all of whom are still currently at the club. Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof were signed during Jose Mourinho’s tenure, with Maguire and Raphael Varane following in the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era.
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