Erik ten Hag has reflected on the process behind signing Lisandro Martinez in the summer.
The Argentinian has just been crowned a world champion after lifting the prestigious World Cup with his national team in Qatar.
Martinez completed a move to the Red Devils from Ajax in July for £56.7 million. He was one of two players to sign from the Dutch side in the transfer window, alongside Antony, and Ten Hag had also just made the move to Manchester himself.
At the time, the 24-year-old was heavily linked to Arsenal but opted to reunite with his former coach at Old Trafford. He has since been invaluable to the squad and has revitalised United’s backline, especially when alongside Raphael Varane.
Ten Hag details phone call with Martinez
Ten Hag spoke on the transfer in an interview with Voetbal International and detailed a phone call between himself and Martinez ahead of the switch. He said: “If we hadn’t taken him, he would have gone to Arsenal. They wanted him anyway – he was top priority there. Licha called me at one point: ‘Coach, listen, I’m leaving Ajax anyway. I can sign with Arsenal, but if you want me, I’ll go to Manchester United.”
