Manchester United supporters will be very familiar with the Ajax squad by now and that’s because the club were linked with just about all of their players during Erik ten Hag’s first transfer window at Old Trafford.
It became clear early on that Ten Hag was keen on bringing a few players with him to United, with Jurrien Timber, Lisandro Martinez and Antony among those to be heavily linked.
Martinez was the first to join after United fended off competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal, with Antony also signing on the dotted line on transfer deadline day.
Now, speaking ahead of the Netherlands’ return to the World Cup, Ajax CEO and United great Edwin van der Sar has opened up on losing the pair to his former club.
“They’re good players,” Van der Sar told The Athletic. “Erik knew them, they fit with his playing style. He wanted the players, we didn’t want to lose them so… you put a high price on them.
“When you want a player, you probably pay a little bit more. For me, it was a fair negotiation with Richard Arnold and John Murtough, and that was it.
“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: Daley Blind, Donny van de Beek. My job is making sure I make the best decisions for Ajax.”
SN’s verdict…
It’s no secret that United were made to pay over the top for both Martinez and Antony but such was the desperation from Ten Hag to improve the squad.
Europe’s elite clubs were aware that United needed to rebuild and high asking prices were always going to be an obstacle. It’s a detail Ten Hag won’t mind, however. As long as he gets what he asks for, the manager will be content.
We’re already seeing the difference made by these two players, with Martinez especially having a real impact. Antony has enjoyed a good start to life at the club but missed the last month due to injury.
Man united fans are happy and proud of both former Ajax players,they are doing wonders congratulations and we need more from ajax