Manchester United invested heavily in the side in Erik ten Hag’s first transfer window this summer and the Dutchman made it clear early on that he wanted to sign players he was familiar with.
His primary target, Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, was a player he had worked with before and although the Dutchman was not signed, that strategy was kept for other targets.
Among the players to join the club, Ten Hag had already worked with three in the past and another enjoyed his professional breakthrough in the Eredivisie.
Ten Hag brought Lisandro Martinez to Ajax in 2019 and the Argentine has already become a fan-favourite at Old Trafford after following his manager from Amsterdam.
Now, Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer has admitted that losing Martinez to United this summer was a ‘big loss’, comparing his former team-mate to Calvin Bassey, who joined from Rangers this year.
“Martinez was used to the Ajax style of play and put things on edge. I think that’s a big loss centrally on the field as he knew exactly when to cover,” Pasveer told Voetbal International, via the Manchester Evening News.
“That’s something we have to learn more centrally with Calvin [Bassey]. We have to work a lot on that.”
Martinez was named Player of the Year in his final season at Ajax and is well on his way to doing the same at United. The 24-year-old was also recently named in Argentina’s 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup.
SN’s verdict…
Ajax have endured a difficult season and it’s never easy to lose as many key players as they did in one summer. Martinez was integral to Ten Hag’s side in Amsterdam and it’s understandable that they’re suffering from his departure.
Their loss is, however, United’s gain and you would struggle to find a United supporter who doesn’t absolutely adore Martinez by this point.
Martinez will now be hoping to nail down a starting place for Argentina at this winter’s World Cup. As things stand, Benfica defender Nicolas Otamendi and Tottenham star Cristian Romero are his main competition.