Arsenal Transfers: Gunners in serious risk of losing out on Lisandro Martinez

Manchester United and Arsenal are set to battle it out for Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez as the Red Devils look to beat their rivals to the Argentine star.

Arsenal are facing a fierce battle to secure the signature of Lisandro Martinez after reports surfaced stating that Manchester United has now entered discussions to sign the 24-year-old, with talks now “advanced.”

The Gunners were thought to be in pole position to sign the versatile defender, but now it appears that they may be fighting a losing cause.

Erik ten Hag is said to be keen on reuniting with his former player and, according to Fabrizio Romano, once the Red Devils secure the services of Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord, they will ramp up their interest in Martinez.

Arsenal have already reportedly lost serious ground to Chelsea and Barcelona in the Raphinha sweepstakes, and now it appears that the club will have a serious fight on its hands to get the deal for Martinez over the line.

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1542966680472768514?s=20&t=VvIVpjYprncOv_j6xm1fsg

The club has reportedly already submitted two bids for the Ajax star per Jason Soutar of Football365, but both were swiftly rejected. It is thought that around €50m would be enough to tempt the Dutch champions into letting go of their prized asset.

In a similar way to Gabriel Jesus with Mikel Arteta, United holds the inside track with Martinez, as the Argentine has previously worked with new United boss Erik ten Hag. That kind of reunion could prove pivotal in the battle to secure his services.

Arteta is a known admirer of Martinez due to his versatile nature. He can be deployed as a central defender, a left-back, and even a defensive midfielder. With Kieran Tierney’s injury troubles and Arsenal’s need to strengthen its midfield, Martinez fills two quotas for the Gunners.

After seemingly being on top of the world just weeks ago when it looked like both Raphinha and Martinez were going to sign with the north London club, there is now a real possibility that Mikel Arteta and Edu will miss out on both.

Would it be a bitter blow for the Gunners? Regarding Raphinha, not so much as he was seen as more of a luxury than a necessity. With Martinez, he has everything Arteta wants in a player and also fills multiple positions, something that the Spaniard loves in his players.

While it is not over just yet, it appears that Arsenal is fighting a losing battle for a player who, just weeks ago, they seemed destined to sign.