Arsenal are going head-to-head with their former rivals Manchester United in the race to sign Ajax’s versatile defender Lisandro Martinez. The Gunners want the 24-year-old to be a competitor in as many as three different roles.
Martinez would provide competition for Gabriel Magalhaes at left centre-half, Kieran Tierney at left-back and Thomas Partey in defensive midfield. A valuable asset considering Arsenal are fighting for four competitions in the 2022/23 season.
However, the presence of Erik ten Hag as Manchester United’s new head coach and the strong interest of the Red Devils has put pressure on the club. Technical director Edu has already seemingly lost out in the race to sign Raphinha after Chelsea agreed on a fee with Leeds that the Gunners have so far been unwilling to match.
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There is a greater openness to agreeing on a deal close to Ajax’s asking price for Martinez, however, there is growing frustration amongst onlookers that Arsenal might miss out should United, similar to Chelsea with Raphinha, stump up what the Eredivisie side are asking immediately.
Can Edu and Arsenal afford to be stringent with funds in this particular race? The alternatives to a player like Martinez are very restricted.
There are plenty of players who can play two roles well. However, with Martinez able to occupy three positions and perform to a high standard in all three, losing out on him would put a major dent in the club’s summer plans.
There’s also the competitive angle that it is Manchester United rivalling Arsenal for a player. The northwest side have been notoriously poor in the market and interrupting Ten Hag’s early plans for the club could help minimise his immediate impact on the club.
A new manager bounce is to be expected but limiting the tools at his disposal will aid in Arsenal ensuring they retain their buffer that was built up last season. Arsenal managed to effectively end United’s UCL hopes last season with a 3-1 win at the Emirates.
Ten Hag appears a much more sensible approach to management at the club that has been through some hectic periods with Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. It is expected to take time for the former Ajax head coach to instil his ideals and this gives Arsenal even greater incentive to obstruct his plans.
For Edu, the summer was an opportunity to get even more fans on their side with his own plan for the club. He has had mixed reception thanks to both some positive deals and a poor reputation regarding the managing of outgoings.
Both incomings and sales will be a huge part of Arsenal's summer. Direct competition and comparisons with teams like United is sure to set a benchmark or at least give some frame of reference to better understand how Edu should be judged this summer.
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