Lisandro Martinez may not play for Man Utd in the position he did for Ajax last season

Lisandro Martinez has become the third signing of the Erik ten Hag era at Manchester United and his arrival brings plenty of possibilities to the side.

The 24-year-old has joined the club for an initial £46.8million fee , with a further £8.5m set to come in add-ons, bringing the total up to £55.3m. He has agreed to a five-year contract worth £120,000 and joins Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen at the club.

In the statement announcing his arrival, Manchester United described him as “Argentine international defender Lisandro Martinez”. Although that is true – he has won seven caps for his country and played the majority of his 118 appearances for Ajax in defence – it doesn’t properly reflect Martinez’s flexibility.

When Martinez first joined Ajax from Argentine side Defensa y Justicia in 2019, he arrived as a midfielder. Ten Hag wanted to use him as a “brain for central midfield” following the departure of Frenkie de Jong to Barcelona.

Initially, Martinez found the position and the style played by Ajax hugely challenging. "At the beginning, I felt like going home and crying," he told La Nacion in 2020. "The first few weeks were horrible. Different intensity. Different control. Different passes. Different reading of the game.” But he soon got up to speed and got used to the position.

Only later did Martinez moved back into his now more familiar position in left central defence . His strong left foot means he is also more than capable of playing at left-back. It is this tactical versatility which makes him such a useful signing for United. He is the only left-footed central defender at the club , which potentially opens up passing lanes when in possession.

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