Manchester United target Lisandro Martinez 'will have his hopes pinned' on a move to Old Trafford.
That's according to the head of Dutch publication De Telegraaf’s sports section, Marcel van der Kraan (via Sport Witness), who is expecting 'big developments' very soon.
The lowdown
Fabrizio Romano reported on Friday night that United 'are preparing a bid' for the Ajax defender. Martinez is 'very high in Erik ten Hag's list', but it's an 'open' race, with Arsenal in the running too.
It will be United's next priority after they seal a deal for Feyenoord defender Tyrell Malacia.
The 24-year-old is predominantly a centre-back but he can also play as a defensive midfielder or a full-back.
The latest
Van der Kraan says that Martinez is eager to reunite with his former manager Ten Hag in Manchester.
And he adds that the Argentine should be available for between £38.8million and £43million, unless a bidding war breaks out.
“Martinez is very high on Erik ten Hag’s wishlist, so I expect big developments in the 24 or 48 hours.
"Martinez will also have his hopes pinned on United, who are an absolute top club for him.
"Ajax will really cash out for Martinez and go to €45-50m, but that is the advantage if two clubs bid, as we saw with Lyon and Manchester United [for Malacia], then it suddenly goes higher."
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The verdict
This is an indication that United's pulling power remains, even with the club failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Frenkie de Jong hasn't seemed overly enthusiastic about the prospect of joining the club, previously insisting that he's happy at Barcelona, but it appears that Martinez dreams of playing for the 20-times English champions.
Similar in profile to Manchester City's Ruben Dias, he's been nicknamed 'The Argentine Butcher' and says that he 'always goes into battle full of struggle'.
And he combines that spirit with real quality, winning the Player of the Year award for Eredivisie champions Ajax.