We 'signed' Lisandro Martinez for Man United and he became a key player for Erik ten Hag

Manchester United are reportedly set to battle Arsenal for the signing of Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez this summer.

Erik ten Hag has labelled Martinez as an 'excellent player' in the past and is rumoured to be interested in bringing the Argentina international across to Old Trafford. Martinez is a versatile defender with the ability to play at centre-back, left-back and defensive midfield.

A number of Ajax players have been linked with a move to United this summer, following their former boss Ten Hag, including Antony, Jurrien Timber and Martinez. Christian Eriksen and Frenkie de Jong have also been targeted by the Reds as Ten Hag looks to reshape his squad ahead of next season.

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So, if Martinez was to make the move to United in the summer, what sort of impact could he have on Ten Hag's side? Could the 25-year-old help the club qualify for the Champions League?

We simulated the 2022/23 season with Martinez in the United squad and this is what happened.

To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Martinez to join Ten Hag's side at the start of the summer transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation. This is what Martinez's in-game profile looks like on FM22.

The 23-year-old is well-rounded in terms of his mental, technical and physical attributes. At just 5ft 10ins tall, Martinez is not the tallest defender but his Aggression (16), Work Rate (15), Marking (15) and Strength (13) make him a very physical defender.

The Argentina international tends to dive into tackles, try long-range passes and brings the ball out of defence, suiting Ten Hag's possession-based play