Argentina fans were excited to learn that Manchester United had entered the race to sign River Plate centre-back Lautaro Rivero, who was already being tracked by Tottenham Hotspur.
The 22-year-old fast-rising defender is expected to make Lionel Scaloni's FIFA World Cup squad, and United directly rivalling Spurs for his signature is good news for the defending world champions. Lisandro Martinez plays for the Red Devils while Cristian Romero leads Tottenham, and young Rivero getting to link up with either of them is ideal for his familiarisation with the national team set-up.
However, there is a good chance that "Licha" Martinez will not be around by the time United decide to make a move for Rivero. Martinez's current contract runs out in 2027 and La Liga giants FC Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing him, a report said. It is a lot more than a usual rumour and United are aware of the situation, it added.
Barcelona are one of the many clubs tracking the centre-back, who can also operate as a CDM. Manchester United are in no mood to sell Licha and have the option to extend his current contract for another year. Barcelona are optimistic that Hansi Flick's project has what it takes to lure the defender to Catalonia. If Martinez tells United that he wants Barcelona, they can then negotiate with the former Premier League champions to sell him in the summer instead of causing a long and tiring transfer saga until the contract extension runs out, CaughtOffside said in a report.
World Cup winner Martinez’s current valuation on Transfermarkt is €35 million, but the report claimed that Barcelona, or any other bidders, will have to spend no less than €55 million to convince United to sell. The “Butcher” is in good touch after having returned to the pitch following a long hiatus caused by a serious injury.
Meanwhile, Manchester United made it four wins out of four for caretaker manager Michael Carrick to maintain their top-four push on Saturday. While Carrick's resurgent United are well-placed for a return to the Champions League, Tottenham are slipping too close to the relegation zone for comfort after their run without a league win extended to seven. They will be without their skipper Romero for their next assignment after he was sent off for a foul on Casemiro during the 2-0 defeat.
