Report: Arsenal will have to pay £51.5m for Lisandro Martinez

By Jordan Harris

Arsenal will have to pay £51.5m for Lisandro Martinez, with The Times reporting that Ajax have informed their Premier League rival of their asking price for the defender.

The 24-year-old is a target for a number of Premier League sides this summer. He is one of a number of hugely impressive players with the Eredivisie side attracting interest.

The Times reports that Manchester United want the Argentina international. Meanwhile, reports claimed that Tottenham are also keen on the centre-back.

But Arsenal are very much firm admirers of Martinez. In fact, David Ornstein said this week that he is a player that the Gunners really want to sign. His ability to play at left-back or holding midfield also appeals to Mikel Arteta’s men.

Previous reports had suggested that Ajax want £30 million for Martinez. But it turns out that they may actually want considerably more.

The Times is now reporting that Ajax have informed Manchester United that they want £51.5 million for Martinez.

Ajax have already sold a number of their players in this window. So it is probably no surprise that they have set such a hefty price for the defender.

Arsenal have to pay £51.5m for Martinez

You would imagine that Ajax’s asking price would put paid to Arsenal’s hopes of signing Martinez. Centre-back is not really the priority at this stage.

Instead, Arsenal absolutely need a new forward. They may need more quality in the middle of the park too, even after signing Fabio Vieira.

The Gunners have plenty of options at centre-back. So paying over £50 million for someone to compete with the likes of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba may not make sense at this stage.

But he is an ‘excellent‘ player. So if there is scope for a compromise, Arsenal may well try their luck as the window goes on.