KEY POINTS

  • Cristian Romero moved from Altanta to Spurs in 2021
  • Man Utd signed Lisandro Martinez from Ajax this summer
  • He has started each of Man Utd's league fixtures

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has named Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez as one of the best center-backs in the Premier League.

24-year-old Romero, who moved from Serie A club Atalanta to Spurs, "loved" watching FC Barcelona's Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano growing up and says the current Premier League is not short of top-class defenders.

Martinez and Liverpool FC's Virgil van Dijk are the two stand-out center-backs in the Premier League, according to Romero, who has been a part of the English top-flight for over a year now.

"I always loved watching that Barcelona team because I loved to watch Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, and also Javier Mascherano when he played there. Those three were beautiful to watch. Today, the best defender for me is Virgil van Dijk, always, and Lisandro Martinez from Manchester United. For me, they are the best in the Premier League," Romero told Sky Sports in an interview.

Martinez, 24, had a fine run with Ajax where he spent three seasons and won the Dutch league Eredivisie two back-to-back seasons -- 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Manchester United signed Martinez at $65 million in a five-year deal. The Argentinean defender struggled in his opening two games for the Red Devils and received criticism for the same. However, he has bounced back and has been impressive in Erik ten Hag and Co.'s four wins in a row.

Martinez has started in each of Manchester United's league games. As a result, Manchester United have climbed to fifth place in the 2022-23 Premier League table.

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes (C) celebrates scoring at Southampton

Ten Hag's side started off their 2022-23 Europa League campaign with a defeat at Real Sociedad. However, they returned with a 2-0 win over Moldavian club Sheriff.

Van Dijk, meanwhile, has been a stronghold in Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side since 2018, helping the Anfield side win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Club World Cup, and League Cup.

With the international break underway, the Red Devils' next game is on Oct. 2 and is a big derby league fixture against Manchester City. Liverpool are scheduled to return to action on Oct. 1 as they host Brighton in the Premier League.