After experiencing a hugely successful loan spell with Marseille last time out, Arsenal are set to finally award defender William Saliba with his long-awaited first-team opportunity.
That’s according to a recent report from The Athletic, who claims the Gunners could re-jig their backline and find a way for Saliba to work alongside the likes of Ben White and Gabriel.
However, despite Mikel Arteta’s wealth of defensive options available to him, the Londoners could still yet bring in a new centre-back.
It is believed that Arsenal are keen to bring in a left-footed centre-back and one name to emerge as a potential summer target is Ajax’s, Lisandro Martinez.
Martinez, 24, joined Ajax from South American side Defensa in 2019 in a deal worth just £6.3m.
Since the commanding Argentine arrived in the Eredivisie three years ago, the 24-year-old has grown to become a major hit. Nicknamed ‘the butcher’, Martinez’s style of play has certainly seen him become a fan-favourite.
Speaking about the nickname last year, Martinez, as quoted by Live Football on TV, said: “I also have to rely on my technique.
“I will never consciously injure an opponent. In Argentina, they called me the pit bull. That covers my playing style better. I bite into my opponent.”
Despite his tenacious defensive attitude, Martinez, surprisingly, has never been shown a red card in Europe – a stat Arteta probably wishes were true for his current players, who were sent off a total of four times in last season’s Premier League – making them the second-worst disciplined side (Sports NDTV).
Although Arsenal are interested in the highly-rated 24-year-old, the club are in the early stages of learning the defender’s availability and are believed to have only made enquiries at this stage.
Since signing for Ajax, Martinez has gone on to feature in 118 matches, in all competitions, directly contributing to 12 goals along the way.