‘Elite’ Man Utd star ‘willing’ to reunite with Marcus Rashford at Barcelona – report

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is keen on signing Lisandro Martinez from Manchester United after securing the services of Marcus Rashford on loan from the Red Devils, according to a Spanish report, but there are concerns at the defending champions over a potential deal for the Argentina international central defender.

Martinez has been on the books of Man Utd since the summer of 2022 when he joined from Ajax. The 27-year-old central defender signed a contract with the Red Devils until June 2027, with the option to extend it for a further year, with then Man Utd-manager Erik ten Hag being the driving force behind the deal.

Although the Argentina international has had injury concerns, when fit and available, he has done well for Man Utd and has impressed the Old Trafford faithful with his passion and ability in defence.

Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim has named Martinez as one of the players in his leadership group, even though the centre-back has been on the sidelines since February with a knee injury.

Martinez is back in training with the hope of returning to action for Man Utd after the international break, according to The Manchester Evening News, but a report in Fichajes has claimed that he is already looking to leave the Premier League club for an adventure in Spain.

Barcelona manager Flick is a huge fan of Martinez and wants to sign the defender, who himself is reportedly ‘willing to make the move to Spain’,

Flick, who signed Marcus Rashford on a loan deal from Man Utd in the summer transfer window with Barcelona having the option to make it permanent for €30million (£26.2m, $35.2m) at the end of the season, views Martinez as the perfect left-footed centre-back to play in his system at Barcelona.

The German boss believes that Martinez, who won the Eredivisie twice with Ajax, the FA Cup once with Man Utd, and the 2022 World Cup and the 2021 and 2024 Copa America with Argentina, can ‘provide solidity and clean ball movement’.

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Barcelona concerns over Lisandro Martinez

While Barcelona believe that Martinez is a brilliant defender, the defending Spanish champions do have concerns over his fitness.

The 27-year-old has had injury problems throughout his time at Man Utd so far, and this is ‘the biggest obstacle to his signing’, according to the report in the Spanish news outlet.

However, Barcelona are aware that Martinez is ‘an elite player when available’, and club president Joan Laporta views him as a ‘market opportunity’.

Flick’s ‘great desire’ is Inter Milan and Italy international centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, but Barcelona are aware that he will cost a lot more than Martinez.

For Man Utd, selling Martinez in the middle of the season could prove costly, as Amorim aims to get the club back into the Premier League top four.

Martinez is a senior player in the dressing room and is a reliable player in defence when he plays.

However, if Leny Yoro continues to progress and Matthijs de Ligt steps up his game and reaches the level that Man Utd fans expect him to, then the Premier League club could find it tempting to cash in on Martinez next summer, especially given his fitness issues.

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How Barcelona target Lisandro Martinez fared for Man Utd in 2024/25