Former Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna has believed that Lisandro Martinez is the type of central defender that Manchester United have lacked in recent years.
Sagna also said Martinez has all the required attributes to thrive in the English top flight, combining brains and brawn to establish a domineering presence at the back for United.
“Martinez plays very seriously. Not only does he have great skill, but he is also brave in one-on-one matches with opposing strikers. His play is not too fancy but he still plays the role perfectly my game,” Sagna said.
Martinez started the 2022/23 Premier League season alongside Harry Maguire. His failure in two matches against Brighton and Brentford led some teams to believe that his 1.75m height is a weakness that can be mistreated.
However, since Raphael Varane joininng United,Martinez’s performance has been improved to a new level.
“I think a central defender needs to be brave and strong. Some central defenders forget that they are in charge of stopping the opponent, not showing color on the pitch,” Sagna said.
“Martinez helps United’s defense become solid and creates the foundation for strikers to shine. He is really a right-back for the ‘Red Devils’ style,” Sagna added.
Martinez improved his pace in the Premier League. He paired well with Varane to help United win four consecutive games, including two wins over tough rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Argentine joined United in summer 2022 for 57.4 million euros. He became the second most expensive centre-back in United history, just behind captain Harry Maguire.
Martinez and Varane had always been likely to retain their spots for the Manchester derby, United face nine fixtures in 27 days next month and need to call on their squad.
United are currently fifth in the Premier League table. Erik ten Hag side have won four of their opening six top-flight encounters.
