Manchester United have made an increased offer to Ajax for Lisandro Martinez, and are confident of winning the race to sign the Argentinian international ahead of Premier League rivals Arsenal.
Manchester United’s latest offer costs around 50 million euros, including bonuses, and the total amount up to the amount Ajax set to sell the 24-year-old – even if Ajax wanted that guaranteed amount in any deal. United’s previous offer could have cost € 43m, which could increase to € 45m if there are additions.
Martinez has emerged as a key defender for Ten Hag after United missed out on another Ajax defender, Jurrien Timber, and has confirmed to Ajax his desire to leave the club ahead of the new season.
The decision on whether to accept the application has been left to the Ajax governing body. Manchester United are confident the Dutch giants’ demands have been met and will soon be able to finalize the signing. It is believed that treatment plans already exist.
Arsenal have also made more than one contribution to Martinez, but it remains to be seen whether they will comply with United’s latest bid. Whether they do or not, Manchester United are “very confident” that Argentina could choose to let Old Trafford play under Ten Hag again.
Manchester United are still in talks over Antony, as they have identified the 22-year-old as the first to attack in the summer window. The Brazilian star has also made it clear to Ajax that he would like to leave this summer to face a new challenge.
Dutch champions were demanding at least 120 million euros to sell the couple, meaning Antony’s price was initially close to 70 million euros.
Manchester United are still short of the asking price of a decent winger, and Ajax are unwilling to take less than one of their most expensive assets as they have already raised significant funding for the sale of key players this summer. United are still determined to sign Antony amid uncertainty over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.
