Manchester United have confirmed the imminent signing of Argentina international Lisandro Martinez from Ajax.
United have agreed a fee of £46.8million, rising to £55.3m, for Martinez on a five-year contract, plus an extra optional year. The club say the deal is still subject to a medical, but an announcement was required as Ajax had to inform the Amsterdam stock exchange of material transactions.
Martinez, 24, flew into Manchester on Friday with his agent and United are expected to complete the deal in the coming days. United manager Erik ten Hag wanted Martinez signed in time to link up with the squad on their pre-season tour in Australia but he will not travel to Perth and is likely to make his debut against Atletico Madrid in Oslo on July 30.
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Martinez will become manager Erik ten Hag’s third summer signing after Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen. United also intend to recruit a midfielder and a back-up goalkeeper, while they are also open to signing a right-back.
United have backed Ten Hag over the recruitment department with the expected addition of Martinez. The United recruitment analysts recommended Pau Torres as the ideal left-footed centre-back to target but Ten Hag preferred Martinez, having coached him for three years at Ajax. Martinez won two titles and the Dutch cup with Ajax.
Should he complete his transfer, Martinez will become the eighth Argentinian to play for United after Juan Sebastian Veron, Gabriel Heinze, Carlos Tevez, Marcos Rojo, Angel di Maria, Sergio Romero and Alejandro Garnacho.
The Martinez deal means United will have six centre-backs in whom they have invested £263.8mi. United had preferred to sign a centre-back after selling one but were spurred into moving for Martinez when Arsenal became interested.
United remain open to selling Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe. Jones is not on the pre-season tour in Australia while he follows a curated fitness programme and Tuanzebe left the tour after the first game against Liverpool in Bangkok.
Bailly started the second-half against Liverpool and came on at the same time in the win over Melbourne Victory but is effectively the fifth-choice centre half.
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