Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez sustained an unfortunate injury during the World Cup final for Argentina against Spain.
The centre-back was one of the players of the tournament for Argentina, but he asked to be substituted before the interval on Sunday.
Martinez was visibly distraught on the bench, and the setback is a big blow for the Red Devils with the new season starting in a month.
United currently have just five reliable central defenders in the squad, including Matthijs de Ligt, who is recovering from back surgery.
If Martinez is sidelined, this leaves manager Michael Carrick with Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven to rely on in the short term.
Heaven is the only other left-footed centre-back in the squad after Martinez, though Luke Shaw has occupied the position in the past.
In our view, United could enter the market for another left-footed central defensive solution if Martinez has suffered a long-term injury.
Here are three options that they could pursue.
Goncalo Inacio – Sporting CP
The Portuguese ace has been linked with United for some time. He was initially the club’s prime target before they signed Martinez from Ajax.
Inacio had a £38 million release clause back then, which has since increased to £51m with two contract renewals. Still, his price tag is negotiable.
The 24-year-old is a strong ball-playing centre-back. He completed 90 percent of his passes last season, winning almost 70 percent of his duels too.
He has likewise impressed with his ball-carrying ability and missed just two games due to injury last term. United could revive their long-term interest in him.
Castello Lukeba – RB Leipzig
The former Lyon man has a gentleman’s agreement to leave Leipzig during the ongoing transfer window, but there have been no formal proposals thus far.
The Frenchman has similar traits to Martinez. The United ace is better in progressive carries and forward passing, but Lukeba has better overall pass accuracy.
Lukeba likes to win more aerial duels than Martinez. Leipzig are prepared to negotiate from £55m for their prized asset, but United may seek to drive the valuation down further.
They already have a good working relationship with the Bundesliga outfit, having signed Benjamin Sesko last summer. Lukeba would be a fabulous acquisition for the Red Devils.
Murillo – Nottingham Forest
Murillo has been touted to leave Forest for some period of time. United have been mentioned as among suitors amid his good progress with the Tricky Trees in recent years.
However, there are a couple of reasons why United may not make a formal approach this summer. The 24-year-old picked up a hamstring injury towards the end of last season.
The Brazilian has yet to fully recover, and he is going through rehabilitation. Furthermore, Forest’s asking price could be another stumbling block towards a potential transfer.
Forest have just sold midfielder Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116m and believe Murillo could eventually be worth £70m, a figure United are unlikely to pay given his current condition.
Stats from Sofascore & DataMB
