Ajax have dropped a bombshell on Man Utd which has left Lisandro Martinez angry and his move to Old Trafford in serious doubt, according to a report.
Erik ten Hag has instructed Man Utd to pursue a string of transfer targets he is experiencing this summer. Tyrell Malacia has already arrived from Feyenoord and is well known to Ten Hag since leading the Eredivisie with Ajax.
Christian Eriksen trained with the Amsterdam club while recovering from cardiac arrest, while Frenkie de Jong is a fellow Dutchman.
Somewhere else, Manchester United have made offers for Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez and are chasing Brazilian team-mate Antony.
Regarding Martinez, United’s latest offer is said to have totaled £43million. This is the figure the Red Devils have been led to believe is Ajax’s valuation.
However, according to 90minthe Dutch raised the bar at the last minute.
Their report claims that Ajax are determined to make the most of the sale of Martinez and are perhaps boosted by the potential for a bidding war between Man Utd and Arsenal.
The Gunners have also made a bid for the Argentine, although their latest bid was reportedly five million lower than United’s at £38million.
Ajax raises the bar
Either way, Ajax sense an opportunity to take advantage of United’s desperation and have reportedly raised the asking price to €60m (around £50.5m).
Martinez’s representatives have reportedly told United that £43m would have been enough and that’s the amount they recently offered.
Still, Ajax’s new position is likely to test United’s resolve on a player Ten Hag looks set to sign.
Ajax’s late bait and switch would have dropped like a lead ball with Martinez. 90 minutes adding that the defender is ‘angry’ at his club’s actions and believes £43m was a fair price for his services.
Will Man Utd walk away from Lisandro Martinez?
United’s recruitment team have reportedly recommended Villarreal’s Pau Torres to Ten Hag. However, the Dutch boss is keen to sign those he trusts and Martinez has never let him down in Amsterdam.
However, it is Man Utd, not Ten Hag, who ultimately have to foot the bill. If they are unwilling to pay more than £50m for Martinez, the Torres option remains open.
Like Martinez, Torres is left-footed – a key trait Ten Hag is looking for given that all of United’s centre-halves are right-footed.
The 90 minutes the report adds that Torres could be available for £45million. If Ajax have moved away from a move, Man Utd could yet turn to Spain.
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