Lisandro Martinez is closing in on a move to Manchester United, but it’s unclear whether he chose the move or Arsenal simply withdrew from the race.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Lisandro Martinez’s move to Manchester United is now imminent, after positive and successful talks between the club and Ajax.

The deal isn’t quite sealed yet, but Romano reports that it should be in the next day or two for more than €50m.

De Telegraaf claim Ajax and United will finalise a deal for around €55m (£46.6m), including bonuses. Former United goalkeeper and Ajax director Edwin van der Sar reportedly gave the move a push.

Mike Verweij reports that Martinez wants to go to United, and he turned down Arsenal on Tuesday.

That feels a bit convenient, considering Arsenal haven’t seriously been in the race for a little while now.

The Gunners certainly showed an interest and made early bids for the defender, but they never agreed a fee.

Goal’s Charles Watts reported this week that Arsenal had taken a step back from the deal, despite Martinez being impressed by their pitch for him.

Ultimately, the Argentine international never had the chance to reject Arsenal, because Ajax were never willing to sell to the Gunners for the money on offer.

That’s probably a good thing. Whilst Martinez looked like an interesting prospect at £30m, a deal in excess of £45m feels like an unnecessarily large drain on Arsenal’s summer budget.

The Gunners have other areas of the squad to prioritise, like a new forward or midfielder. Missing out on Martinez ultimately just means using Nuno Tavares as a backup instead.