Lisandro Martinez chooses United, but Frenkie de Jong situation remains unclear

Lisandro Martinez chooses Manchester United over Arsenal, but Ajax fighting over fee

Manchester United’s primary target from the current Ajax side has long been assumed to be Argentina’s Lisandro Martinez. Played primarily as a centre back, Martinez has proved a very versatile player in his time playing under Erik ten Hag in Amsterdam. The new United manager has stated previously that he believes Martinez could be a capable midfielder as well, another need in the current squad, and a player of his versatility could be a nice addition regardless of having a primary position.

It was well known that Arsenal and Mikel Arteta were keen on securing a move for Martinez, but reports indicate that once Manchester United became involved the player was only interested in following his old boss to Old Trafford.

The two clubs remain somewhere apart on deciding a transfer fee, but it seems that Ajax have accepted the player wants to leave and they can make a sizeable profit on him doing so. United clearly want him, but their summer transfer budget is complicated by the ongoing saga of...

Frenkie de Jong negotiations drag on, conflicting reports offer little clarity

Manchester United’s number 1 target from the start of the transfer window has been FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The former Ajax academy product has been central to Erik ten Hag’s plans for the Manchester United midfield, but there hasn’t been much in terms of progress from what has been reported the last few weeks. Some reports indicate de Jong wants to stay at Barcelona, others indicate he wants to leave, but either way the situation is very much complicated by the deferred wages owed to him. Whether he wants to stay or go, or whether he does stay or go, de Jong wants the wages owed to him.

FC Barcelona meanwhile are conducting business with other transfer deals while saying they are unable to pay de Jong the wages owed to him. Deals for free agents Andres Christensen and Franck Kessie must be registered, as will their returning players from loan such as Francisco Trincao and Miralem Pjanic in the case that permanent transfers can’t be agreed for them. Their financial struggles are well known, and Frenkie de Jong is seen as a way to raise funds and clear wages for them, however the player is under no obligation to leave, nor is he obliged to reduce his wages any further.

A Manchester United contingent including Chief Executive Richard Arnold and John Murtough met with Barcelona chiefs this week to try and finalize negotiations, as well as meet with the player, but there is no news yet of how successful those negotiations have been.

And so it drags on still. Hopefully there will be answers soon as Manchester United continue their preseason and prepare for their first season under ten Hag. The midfield is desperate for reinforcements, and the arrivals of Martinez and de Jong, as well as Christian Eriksen, could go a long way in kickstarting the new manager’s plans for the team.

Clock is ticking...