Ten Hag picked Martinez over Man Utd's recommendation
Karan Tejwani
- 18 Jul 2022 14:45 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United agreed a deal for Lisandro Martinez over the weekend to bring the defender over from Ajax in a deal that could be worth up to €67 million.
The agreement comes after weeks of negotiations between the two clubs, as well as a rejected bid from Arsenal, as the Argentine reunites with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag was adamant on bringing Martinez over for his qualities, and the fact that the 24-year-old was a trusted figure for him in the 2021-22 season.
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Martinez was so impressive for Ajax that he was named the club’s Player of the Season, and that prompted a push from Ten Hag to bring the player over to Manchester.
Ten Hag ignored Manchester United's recommendation
Manchester United chose to back their manager on the choice, as he rejected the club’s recommendation of Pau Torres, who has been scouted for a few years.
Torres had been on the club’s radar since 2020, with the club reportedly keen on making a move in 2021 as well, but Ten Hag went for the trusted option.
The Spanish defender has been one of La Liga’s best over the years, even earning a starting place for the Spanish national team, but his qualities perhaps weren’t best suited for Manchester United.
🇦🇷 The boss has his say on our latest signing... #MUFC || @LisandrMartinez
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 18, 2022
It was clear that Ten Hag wanted a different profile to the one he already had in the squad in the form of Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof.
The fact that Martinez was left-footed was a big plus, as well as the fact that he can play in multiple positions added to his qualities, prompting the move.
Torres, meanwhile, is right-footed, and there would’ve been doubts over his ability to quickly settle into Ten Hag’s new system at Old Trafford, which may not be the case for Martinez.
All three of Ten Hag’s new signings have either a connection to Dutch football or Ajax, and that is an indication of what he is trying to create in his early months at Old Trafford.
