On Friday, De Telegraaf reported Manchester United have submitted an improved offer worth €50m to Ajax for Lisandro Martínez.
Later that day, De Telegaarf journalist Mike Verweij explained Ajax are currently saying the defender’s exit is not possible even after the Red Devils tabled their latest bid.
Manchester United’s proposal for the 24-year-old is discussed in Saturday’s edition of Algemeen Dagblad.
They state the Eredivisie winners have ‘not yet succumbed’ to the offer made by the English side. The report suggests that despite the impasse, Martínez could be a Red Devil soon.
AD have also gathered comments from Jaap Stam, who represented the Premier League side for three years between 1998 and 2001, on the Argentina international’s links to his former club.
“Whether Martínez is worth €50m, that is difficult to say. This kind of money has become normal. Especially in England,” Stam said.
“I have become a fan of his. I think he’s a fantastic guy, with a good temperament and a winning mentality. For trainers, those are great players to work with.”
The Red Devils are now pushing for Martínez and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, who played under the manager at Ajax in the past. Stam is of the belief the South American can be a good addition for United.
“You can clearly see that Ten Hag’s approach is to dominate matches and control the opponent’s half. Then you play with a lot of space in the back and you need players who are reasonably fast and not afraid to cover. Malacia has that and Martínez certainly,” he explained.
“Back in the day, defenders in England couldn’t be big enough. Two metres was good, also to be able to head away a lot of balls. Now most clubs and coaches want to play football. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to defend.
“There are many fast attackers who are merciless on the counter. Therefore, what’s important is that a defender has cleverness. Quickly read where the ball goes, a little nudge or push. Then you don’t even have to get into duels. Martínez has also developed that.
“Martínez is very skilled and creative in his passing. The more he has such players, the more Ten Hag can keep the ball and the less he encounters counters. What is also important for this, certainly in the strongest competition in the world, is communication, and therefore who he will be linked to at the heart of the defence.
“And because Martínez is comfortable on the ball, he can also play as a defensive midfielder. I do not rule out the possibility that Ten Hag will use him there.”
