Edwin van der Sar has hit out at Ajax supporters for criticising Lisandro Martinez’s replacement. Manchester United hired Erik ten Hag from the Dutch giants over the summer and, weeks later, the Argentine defender followed him to Old Trafford.
Martinez has dismissed concerns over his 5ft 9in frame to emerge as one of the Reds’ standout performers this season. The 24-year-old has also featured twice for Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar.
Ajax are renowned for their elite youth academy, with a conveyor belt of talent producing some of Europe’s elite for several decades. Around £45million is what it took to entice Martinez away from the Eredivisie outfit.
Also read: Three United players set to return from injury this month
You can vote for your United Fans' Footballer of the Year 2022 Award - cast your vote below or click here.
Rangers were subsequently raided for their defender Calvin Bassey to help fill the void. Costing around £20million, the 22-year-old was instrumental in the Teddy Bears reaching the Europa League final last season.
However, a difficult start to life in Holland has seen Bassey - who was also chased by Brighton - become a target for the Ajax boo boys. His passing ability, in particular, has been criticised by concerned supporters.
Former United goalkeeper and current Ajax chief Van der Sar has defended Bassey, highlighting Martinez’s own struggles before becoming a first-team stalwart. He told Voetbal International : “Lisandro Martínez was a top defender with us last season, on the field and also in the dressing room. You know you can't just catch him.
“Calvin also has qualities but will have to improve to get to that level. That is very logical, and Martínez also had that development with us. Just think about two years ago, when Martínez spent a lot of time on the bench. It takes time to grow, it's not fair to judge Bassey directly on the level of Martínez.”
READ MORE:
