Luke Shaw reveals how Lisandro Martinez has improved Man Utd

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has described new teammate Lisandro Martinez as ‘unbelievable’ following his summer arrival from Ajax, praising the £57m Argentine for both his technical qualities and the passion he has brought to the squad.

Martinez made his name under United boss Erik ten Hag during three years together in Amsterdam and, despite a tough start to life in the Premier League, has quickly established himself as a fan favourite for his new club.

The 24-year-old’s height, or lack thereof for a centre-back, became a major talking point before a ball had even been kicked, fuelled by his subsequent struggles against Brighton and Brentford. But vast improvement has been there to see in the months since.

“You can see everyone loves him. The fans love him,” Shaw told The Athletic.

Martinez has risen above both Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire in the United pecking order, even before the club captain suffered an injury, and has become the preferred centre-back partner for Raphael Varane in a new look side.

Shaw has suggested the balance that Martinez brings to the defence is really important.

“His left foot is unbelievable. I think it always helps when you play with a left-footer on the side because he naturally likes to come out to that side, and I think he has fitted in really well,” he said.

“Of course, he can keep getting better and better, but for me so far, he has been unbelievable this season. He needs to keep that up. His aggression, his passion, we need him in that backline. He brings that every game. I am really pleased to have him in the team.”

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