Raphael Varane reacts to Man United transfer deal for Lisandro Martinez
Raphael Varane insists that he welcomes the increased competition following Man United's transfer deal to sign Lisandro Martinez
Raphael Varane has insisted that he welcomes the additional competition in Manchester United’s defence after the Red Devils moved to sign Lisandro Martinez from Ajax.
The Red Devils confirmed that they had agreed a deal with Ajax to sign the Argentine defender as Erik ten Hag moved to bolster his options at the back ahead of next season.
Martinez is set to fight for a spot in the Manchester United starting line-up next season as he bids to help the Red Devils to challenge for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Varane, 29, was a regular fixture in the Manchester United team last season, starting 20 of their 38 games in the Premier League as they ended up sixth in the top-flight table.
The France international has now welcomed the arrival of Martinez by insisting that he is relishing the addition competition in defence that the 24-year-old will bring.
Speaking about the increased competition following Martinez’s arrival, Varane said: “I think the competition is very good for the team. We’ll all be better with this competition.
“It’s good for the team, so every great club is like this. So this is normal. I think we have to be ready for this pressure. If everyone wants to fight for the team, that’s great news.”
Martinez was born in Gualeguay and came through the youth systems at Club Libertad and Newell’s Old Boys, before moving to Defensa y Justicia and then Ajax in 2019.
He scored six goals in 120 games for the Dutch club and helped them to win two league titles under Ten Hag.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are preparing to take on Aston Villa in their next pre-season friendly clash on Saturday, before facing Atletico Madrid the following weekend.
