Manchester United were expected to come out of the blocks rapidly in this summer transfer window but it is safe to say that that has not happened. Till now, the club have only been able to sign Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord. The Red Devils need to make many more additions though if they are to have any chance of competing for silverware this season.
One of the areas which new manager, Erik ten Hag, should look to strengthen in is central defence. Raphael Varane could not match the expectations he had come with from Real Madrid, Harry Maguire has been nowhere near the mark and there are huge question marks over the likes of Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe.
Thus, a new centre-back might be near the top of the wish list for Ten Hag and it looks like Manchester United might be close to signing one as well.
As tweeted out by Fabrizio Romano, all the parties involved in the Lisandro Martinez deal are convinced that it is just a ‘matter of hours and final details’ to complete the agreement between Manchester United and Ajax. The deal is at the final stage.
Manchester United very close to agreeing second signing
Martinez currently plays for Ajax and is coming off of a spectacular season. The Argentine centre-back thrived under the management of Ten Hag in Amsterdam.
Thus, a reunion at Manchester United might be an attractive option for all parties involved and it looks like the Red Devils are on the verge of completing a major coup. The Argentine was also linked with a move to Arsenal this summer.
Now, there will be some question marks over Martinez as well and the biggest one will be about his size. Standing at 5′ 9″, if he does indeed join Manchester United, he would be the shortest centre-back in the Premier League and that is something that opponents could try to target.