Lisandro Martínez

Lisandro Martínez (born 18 January 1998) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays primarily as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United and the Argentina national team.

He is known for his movement with the ball, strength, and aggressive tackling.

He made his professional debut for Newell's in the club's final fixture of the 2016–17 season, when he played the full match in a loss to Godoy Cruz.

Martínez began his career at Newell's Old Boys before joining Defensa y Justicia in 2017, initially on loan.

In August 2017, Martínez joined fellow Argentine Primera División side Defensa y Justicia on loan.

His first appearance for Defensa arrived on 13 October in a defeat against San Lorenzo.

Two appearances later, he scored his first senior goal in an away win versus Temperley.

Martínez won four caps for the Argentina under-20 team at the 2017 South American Youth Football Championship in Ecuador.

The first came during the first stage against Venezuela, while the other three arrived during the final stage as Argentina finished 4th and subsequently qualified for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea.

He received a call-up for the U-20 World Cup but failed to make an appearance, appearing on the substitutes bench once versus Guinea.

Defensa y Justicia purchased 50% of the rights to Martínez in June 2018.

He signed for Ajax in 2019, where he made 120 appearances over three seasons and won two Eredivisie titles and one KNVB Cup.

He won the Ajax Player of the Year award in the 2021–22 season.

Martínez represented Argentina at under-20 and under-23 levels, before making his senior international debut in March 2019.

He was a member of the Argentina squads that won the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Martínez had youth spells with Club Urquiza (Gualeguay, Entre Rios), Club Libertad (Gualeguay, Entre Rios) and Newell's Old Boys.

On 17 May 2019, Defensa y Justicia announced that a deal had been agreed with Eredivisie team Ajax; subject to the passing of a medical.

Ajax paid the Argentine side €7m for the transfer of Martínez.

Ajax announced the completion of the medical on 20 May, with the transfer to go through on 1 July.

He penned a four-year contract, with the option of a further year.

He didn't officially join until July, though did feature in June friendlies with Quick '20 and AaB.

Before Ajax signed him, they tracked his progress for two-and-a-half years.

His competitive bow came in the 2019 Johan Cruyff Shield against PSV Eindhoven, as Ajax won the trophy following a two-goal victory.

He was voted man of the match in his second Eredivisie game; in a win over Emmen.

Martínez netted his first Ajax goal on 28 September, as he opened the scoring in a 2–0 victory over Groningen at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

He scored again against Utrecht in November, in a campaign which was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Martínez made one appearance for Argentina at under-23 level, which was in a 5–0 friendly victory against Bolivia in September 2019.

In March 2019, Martínez received his first call-up to the senior team.

He won his opening cap as they lost in Madrid to Venezuela on 22 March.

Martínez made one appearance at the 2021 Copa América, which Argentina won.

In his first match of 2020–21, Martínez got his third Ajax goal in a home win versus RKC Waalwijk on 20 September.

On 16 July 2022, it was announced that Manchester United had agreed a deal with Ajax for the signing of Martínez for a reported transfer fee between £47 million to £49 million, plus £8.5 million in add-ons.

The transfer was officially completed on 27 July, when Martínez signed a five-year contract with the club.

The next day, it was confirmed that he would wear the number six shirt last worn by Paul Pogba.

On 7 August, Martínez made his club debut in a 2–1 home loss against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.

On 22 January 2023, Martínez scored his first goal for Manchester United in a 3–2 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

His first trophy came on 26 February 2023, with a win over Newcastle in the 2023 EFL Cup final.

On 13 April 2023, Martínez suffered a right foot injury while playing in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinal against Sevilla.

The following day, it was confirmed that he fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot and would miss the remainder of the season.

On 29 September 2023, Martínez reinjured his foot, and was sidelined for 4 months, returning on 14 January as a substitute in Manchester United's 2–2 draw against Tottenham.