Ajax defender Lisandro Martínez is ‘one step closer to Manchester United’, according to De Telegraaf.
The Red Devils ‘approached an agreement’ with the Eredivisie winners for the 24-year-old’s signing, following an hour-long meeting in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
It’s said the cost of the deal will be around €55m including bonuses. Manchester United got help from Edwin van der Sar, who gave the operation a nudge in the right direction.
The ex-United star is speaking with Ajax’s supervisory board regarding the payment terms, while the English club are in consultation with their owners. Both parties ‘expect to put the finishing touches’ to the transfer.
Ajax believe it is almost impossible to justify not accepting this offer for the player, after having refused a similar proposal for David Neres from China in 2019.
When the South American signed his last contract in 2021, Marc Overmars had agreed to sell him if there was a €40m bid. With Arsenal and United battling for the player, the current Ajax bosses wanted to get as much money as possible.
De Telegraaf state that blocking Martínez’s move to Manchester United for €55m may see some agents not take their clients to Ajax in the future. On the other hand, his sale to Ten Hag’s side can increase the Dutch club’s appeal further in the South American market.
The operation to take Martínez from Ajax to United will leave all parties as winners as the Amsterdam club will earn good money, the player gets a dream move to the Premier League and Manchester United will land a target identified by Ten Hag.
