Manchester United 'will have to choose between Antony, Lisandro Martinez'

Manchester United will reportedly have to choose between signing Antony or Lisandro Martinez, as Ajax are not prepared to allow both players to leave this summer.

New Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is believed to be keen to bring both Antony and Martinez with him to Old Trafford, with the latter emerging as the team's leading defensive target after Jurrien Timber made it clear that he wanted to remain in Amsterdam for another year.

However, according to The Mirror, Ajax are desperate for their squad not to be torn apart this summer, meaning that both Antony and Martinez will not be allowed to leave.

As a result, Man United will allegedly have to choose between boosting their attack with Antony's arrival or bringing Martinez to the club with a view to improving their defence.

Arsenal have also been strongly linked with Ajax's Argentine defender, with the Gunners believed to have recently had a £30m bid turned down.

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Martinez was in strong form for his Dutch club during the 2021-22 campaign, making 37 appearances in all competitions, contributing one goal and four assists in the process.

The defender still has more than three years left to run on his contract in Amsterdam, while he has won two Eredivisie titles and one Dutch Cup during his time at Ajax.

Ajax are on the verge of selling Sebastien Haller to Bayern Munich, while Ryan Gravenberch has moved to Bayern Munich, so the club are not under pressure to sell any more first-team players.

However, the Dutch champions have allegedly accepted that either Martinez or Antony will depart the club during this summer's transfer window.

Bayern Munich have previously been credited with Antony, but Man United are said to be firmly at the head of the queue for the Brazil international.

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Officials for the 20-time English champions are believed to have been in Amsterdam on Tuesday to discuss a possible move for the attacker, who could cost in the region of £40m.

The 22-year-old was in strong form for his Dutch club last term, scoring 12 goals and registering 10 assists in 32 appearances in all competitions.

The attacker has scored 22 goals and registered 20 assists in 78 appearances for Ajax since joining the club from Sao Paulo in July 2020, meanwhile, and he has a close relationship with Ten Hag.

The South American contributed eight goals and four assists in 23 Eredivisie outings last term, while he also provided two goals and four assists in seven Champions League appearances.

Man United are due to officially begin pre-season training on Monday, although the players involved for their countries during the recent international break will not report for duty until next month.