Man Utd could bring £25.5m Ten Hag favourite to Old Trafford | OneFootball

Manchester United target Lisandro Martinez is ‘perhaps the most intriguing’ name to be linked with a move to the club, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The 24-year-old enjoyed much success under incoming Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag during their time together at Ajax and the pair could be reunited this summer.

What is the latest news involving Man Utd?

According to The Telegraph, United are set to target a new centre-back, two midfielders and a striker as they look to bolster the first-team squad following an extremely underwhelming campaign.

And the same report has revealed that Martinez ‘has been added to the list’ of potential targets as Ten Hag believes he has been a key reason behind his success in Amsterdam.

The Dutch tactician built a quick backline at the Johan Cruyff ArenA that was capable of reading the game and passing the ball out from the back, all aspects of the game in which Martinez excels.

With three years left on his contract at Ajax, the Argentina international is expected to cost at least €30 million (£25.5m) and could join an illustrious list of stars to come out of the four-time European champions.

What has Jones said about Martinez?

Many high-profile players such as Frenkie de Jong, Darwin Nunez and Pau Torres have been linked to United in recent weeks, but Jones believes Martinez is the most interesting of them all.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “Lisandro Martinez is perhaps the most intriguing one.

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“He can be more versatile, and obviously, he adds to the options they can play at centre-back, and that’s primarily what they need, but they also need options in defensive midfield, and he has played there before too.

“I think even in the Champions League a few seasons ago, he played a whole campaign as a defensive midfielder, so that might just add to the intrigue for Ten Hag when he’s looking for squad depth next season.”

Would Martinez be a good signing?

Martinez was previously hailed as “excellent” by Ten Hag, and at just 5 foot 9, the South American has to use his tactical intelligence and technical ability to make up for his physical disadvantages.

As per FBref, he has ranked in the 99th percentile for assists, progressive passes, passes attempted and tackles, while ranking in the 98th for shot-creating actions and the 96th for progressive carries amongst his positional peers over the last year.

It’s clear that Martinez is an elite-level centre-back with the ball at his feet, and when it comes to dispossessing opponents, potentially making him an ideal signing for Ten Hag at United.