Lisandro Martinez is in England for a medical ahead of a £46 million move to Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag made bringing in a new center-back one of his top priorities this summer, and Martinez will be the Reds' third signing of the window, joining left-back Tyrell Malacia and midfielder Christian Eriksen.
Martinez is primarily a center-back, but he can also play in other positions. The Argentine has also played left back and as a holding midfielder. Here are three possibilities for how United could use the defender next season.
Martinez will play in central defense.
Martinez's most obvious role next season would be in a defensive partnership with either Harry Maguire or Raphael Varane.
In an ideal world, he'd be playing alongside Varane, but given his troubling injury record, it's more likely that he'll be playing alongside the current club captain.
Ten Hag is interested in Martinez because he is left-footed and has a great passing range to help them play out from the back, so keeping him in the squad as the left-sided central defender makes sense.
Martinez plays fullback.
Martinez's versatility is a big plus, and he also has the option of filling in at left-back if needed, though that seems unlikely given Malacia's arrival.
Martinez could be considered the club's third-choice left-back if Alvaro Fernandez leaves on loan this summer and Alex Telles is sold, so he could still make an appearance there on occasion.
Those minutes are more likely to come as part of a tactical switch during a game rather than being chosen to play there from the start, but it is certainly a useful trait to have.
Martinez plays in the defensive midfield.
The most intriguing possibility is that Martinez can fill United's need for a defensive midfielder this summer, having gained valuable experience playing there under Ten Hag at Ajax.
The 24-year-old is far from the established midfield anchor that many fans are hoping for, but he could fill in if no one else is available.
Martinez made 22 appearances in that position for Ajax during the club's shortened 2019/20 season, and he could be the ideal complement to Frenkie de Jong and Bruno Fernandes as part of a midfield trio.
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