Should Man Utd be worried by Lisandro Martinez’s lack of height?
Stuart Telford
- 14 Jul 2022 14:54 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United are set to complete the signing of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax. Should the Red Devils be worried about the Argentina international's lack of height?
United look to have beaten Premier League rivals Arsenal to Martinez's signature. A seven-time Argentina international, fans are rightly excited at the latest addition to their squad.
But what they might not know is that Martinez only stands at around 5'9" in height - a touch lower than the average British adult male, and positively short for a centre-back. Does it matter?
Martinez is an academy graduate of Newell's Old Boys, meaning he shares a club on his footballing CV with Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. He also shares left-footedness with those two greats of Argentine football... as well as a perceived lack of physical stature.
Minutes earlier...
✔️✔️✔️ Lisandro Martínez #rkcaja pic.twitter.com/Bv72EB03HB— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) October 17, 2019
While he struggled to break into the Newell's first team in 2017, Martinez was soon picked up by fellow Argentine Primera Division side Defensa y Justicia, initially on loan. Two seasons in Buenos Aires and an Argentina cap later, and Ajax made their move in the summer of 2019.
To say that Martinez has been a success in Amsterdam would be an exercise in gross understatement. He helped his new side win the Johan Cruyff Shield in his first game, and was a cornerstone of the team that won the Dutch domestic double under Erik ten Hag in 2021.
Lisandro's incredible stats
Last season, Martinez continued to go from strength to strength. He started 36 games in all competitions at centre-back, and ended the campaign with league-best marks among players in his position for tackles (three per game), progressive passes (eight per 90) and shot-creating actions (more than one per game).
Martinez is a menace in both boxes, then, and United will acquire a player who could prove a significant upgrade on captain Harry Maguire - unless Ten Hag intends to line them up alongside one another with Raphael Varane missing out.
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If any further justification were needed, it is worth bearing in mind that mind that Martinez also kept Erling Haaland extremely quiet when Ajax beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the Champions League last season, and he will be unfazed at meeting the 6'5" Norwegian in the Manchester derby this year.
What Martinez lacks in height he more than makes up for in his reading of the game, tenacity and skill.
And one centre-back ever has been crowned World Player of the Year: Fabio Cannavaro - all 5'9" of him.
