The Gunners are pushing hard to add a centre-back to their roster this summer; the club has identified Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez as a key target and are currently in talks with the Dutch giants over a possible transfer.
Arsenal are back with a bid for the left-footed central defender, which, as per Sky Sports, is in the region of 40 million euros. Mikel Arteta and company are competing with Premier League rivals Manchester United for the Argentine, with the Red Devils keen to reunite the defender with his former AFC Ajax coach Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Arsenal had a bid rejected for Martinez previously. The club proposed a 30 million euro fee to Ajax, which was rejected out of hand. Furthermore, as per Mike Verweij of the Telegraaf, the Gunners are likely to face rejection again in their bid of 40 million, plus add-ons, with the Dutch champions holding out for a 50 million fee up-front.
Martinez’s arrival will ease the burden on Gabriel Magalhaes, currently the only left-footed – and as a result, the de facto left-sided centre-back – in Arteta’s squad. His adaptability at left-back is also seen as a major plus, which, in turn, could allow the Gunners to loan out left-back Nuno Tavares, the subject of interest from Olympique Marseille and Atalanta.
Martinez joined Ajax in 2019 from Defense y Justicia in his homeland Argentina. The youngster took no time to settle into his new surroundings and would end up making 41 starts in his first season in Europe. In the two years since, he has added 79 more appearances to his bag and scored a total of six goals.
Should Martinez join the club, he would become Arsenal’s fourth signing of the summer. The Gunners have already signed Marqunihos, Fabio Vieira, and Matt Turner and are also working on deals to bring in Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha.
