Arsenal tipped to land target for £35m but another move ‘suits him better’

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Ajax should consider selling Lisandro Martinez for £35 million but the Arsenal target is better suited to La Liga than the Premier League, former Eredivisie champion Marciano Vink tells the Voetbalprat podcast. 

As far as signings from the Dutch top-flight are concerned, Arsenal have a better track record than most. The successes Marc Overmars, Robin van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen more than made up for Glenn Helder’s ill-fated stint in North London after all.

But is Lisandro Martinez more Van Persie than Helder?  

According to The Athletic, Ajax’s 24-year-old Argentina international has emerged as Arsenal’s top defensive target. The Gunners have had an opening offer of around £25 million rejected but, while Martinez will not come cheap, his versatility and tactical intelligence could be worth it’s weight in gold. 

The former Newell’s Old Boys youngster is not just a fine central defender. He can also fill in at left-back – a position that has given Mikel Arteta more headaches than a six-year-old wolfing down a whole tub of Viennetta ice cream – while providing some much-needed competition for Granit Xhaka in the defensive midfield role. 

Arsenal offer £25m for Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez

“Martinez is a very good and tough defender. He also shows that for the Argentine national team,” says Vink, who tasted Eredivisie glory with Ajax back in 1990. 

“I think the system, the way Ajax play and the partnership with (Jurrien) Timber made him an even better player. It’s like two pit bulls standing there (at the heart of Ajax’s defence)

“He has a very good pass and he builds the play well. He also reads the game well. I just wonder if he is really suited to play in England. I’d rather see him in the Spanish league. I think that suits him better.” 

Ajax turned down Arsenal’s opening offer. But Vink believes that, if the Gunners are willing to put another £10 million on the table, Martinez will soon be clearing out his locker.

“For Ajax, holding on to your players is a bit of a utopia,” Vink adds. “If there is so much economic gain to be made, you, as Ajax, should always focus on the next one (the player to replace Martinez). I think forty million euros should definitely be negotiable.”