2 years ago
Where Man Utd's £55m purchase from Ajax could play and why Harry Maguire might miss out
Lisandro Martinez,the flexible 24-year-old is set to become Erik ten Hag's third summer marking and will add rivalry to a guard that battled seriously last season.
It required a long time to get moving however Erik ten Hag's Manchester United modify is building up speed with Lisandro Martinez set to join in a £55m bargain from Ajax.
The 24-year-old Argentine turns into the club's third enroll of the late spring, following Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord and Christian Eriksen who consented to a three-year bargain after his momentary agreement with Brentford lapsed toward the finish of June.
Martinez, who was additionally followed by Arsenal, is very much acclimated with Ten Hag's strategies having worked close by the new United manager for a long time in Amsterdam. The Argentina worldwide was given the unenviable errand of filling Matthijs De Ligt's boots upon his appearance from Defensa y Justicia in 2019 however consistently filled in height, acquiring the club's Player of the Year grant last season.
While in the Eredivisie, Martinez filled in various jobs including as a screening midfielder and at left-back, yet he ostensibly played as a left-sided focal protector, especially in his last mission as Ajax recovered the title. Martinez began 23 of Ajax's 34 association games, which were all in the core of the back four.
Taking into account United surrendered more Premier League objectives (57) than consigned Burnley (53) last season, the assumption is that he will overwhelmingly be used in his leaned toward position. There might be events where Martinez is expected to play higher up, however with Eriksen joined and a charge concurred with Barcelona for Frenkie De Jong, Ten Hag is probably not going to have a lack of focal midfielders to look over.
Martinez is likewise the main regular left-footer among United's ongoing focus back choices and given Ten Hag is anxious to introduce a more broad playing style at Old Trafford that starts in guard, he could have a significant part to make light of in getting going after moves under way that side of the pitch. In 2021-22, Martinez finished 89% of his passes - higher than any of his positional opponents at Old Trafford made due.
Strangely, the left-sided position is where Harry Maguire has been conveyed all through his three seasons at the club and elaborately, the pair are all out contrary energies; Martinez is a ball-playing, portable safeguard who is moderately little for a middle back at just 5'9, while Maguire has a more customary form and is supposed to overwhelm ethereal duels.
Ten Hag has affirmed that Maguire will stay United's club skipper, yet maybe interestingly since joining from Leicester quite a while back, the England global's beginning situation for his club is currently under serious danger.
Martinez's exchange additionally welcomes United's expensive spending on focal protectors lately under the spotlight: since the 2016 summer move window, they have spent barely shy of £250m on five community backs, every one of whom are still right now at the club. Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof were endorsed during Jose Mourinho's residency, with Maguire and Raphael Varane continuing in the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer time.
That every one of that group of four have battled to match assumptions since shows how that position has turned into a dangerous one for United. Martinez will profit from knowing pretty much everything there is to know about Ten Hag's strategic requests yet should make the variation from Eredivisie to Premier League rapidly in the event that he is to address United's well established guarded issues.
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