Arsenal and Manchester United were the two main names in the race to bring Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez to the Premier League in the summer transfer window. The Argentine opted for a reunion with former Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag who had his appointment as the new manager of United confirmed earlier in the year.
Eyebrows were significantly raised regarding the £56.7million fee paid by United, with many questioning whether or not Martinez would be able to thrive in the Premier League given his height and physical stature.
However, the 24-year-old has completely debunked those claims with several excellent performances in the United back line, with his tenacious tackling and aggressiveness in the challenge making life extremely difficult for many Premier League strikers.
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Although Arsenal missed out on Martinez, their defence has been rock-solid for the most part this season, with William Saliba practically feeling like a new signing following a great loan at Marseille. The new arrival Oleksandr Zinchenko has contributed to their seven clean sheets in the Premier League this season.
In hindsight, it was always likely United would be the favourites to sign Martinez given that Edwin Van der Sar, who is the CEO at Ajax, has a history with the Red Devils. Alongside that, Ajax have had many profitable transfer deals with United in the past.
Van der Sar has now lifted the lid on the negotiations regarding the transfer interest in Martinez from Manchester United and Arsenal, revealing the club did not even enter negotiations with the Gunners.
Ajax chief and former United goalkeeper Van der Sar told The Athletic: "Arsenal came earlier for Lisandro, but it was an amount where we said, 'Thank you very much for the offer, but we'd rather keep the player than start negotiating'.
"With United, it was a little bit different. Over the years, we have had a few conversations: with Daley Blind and Donny van de Beek. "My job is making sure I make the best decisions for Ajax."
"I spoke with United about Erik, with Richard Arnold. Erik did a fantastic job here, putting Ajax back on the European map with the players we had.
"You know, in hindsight, that managers like the players they work with, the type of football Erik wanted to play, and with Martinez there, he has shown his worth now."
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