Manchester United have agreed a deal worth up to £57m for Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez, who is set to sign a five-year contract at Old Trafford.
United will pay a guaranteed €57m (£48.5m) for the Argentina international defender, with an additional €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons agreed between the two clubs. The move will see Martinez link up again with former Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag, who signed him for the club in 2019, at Old Trafford.
The deal is still subject to both medical and visa requirements, with completion expected in the coming days, before he puts pen to paper on a five-year contract in Manchester, with the option of a further 12 months, which would take him beyond his 30th birthday.
On Friday evening Martinez posted a picture on his Instagram account of him and his agent on a plane with the caption “heading to Manchester”.
Arsenal were also interested in the Argentina international but conceded defeat in their pursuit. While the Gunners’ playing style, along with the prospect of playing for Mikel Arteta, appealed to Martinez, he has chosen to move to Old Trafford.
Around €2m (£1.7m) of Martinez’s fee will be split between his old clubs, Newell’s Old Boys and Defensa y Justicia, both based in Argentina, as part of the standard solidarity payments involved in international transfers.
