Transfers

Revealed - The player Erik ten Hag rejected in favour of Lisandro Martinez

The Dutch tactician is adamant that Martinez is the right man to reinforce his backline at Old Trafford.


New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag ignored the advice of key figures at the club in pushing ahead with a swoop for Ajax star Lisandro Martinez, according to reports.

The latest imminent addition to the first-team ranks at Old Trafford was, of course, made official on Sunday afternoon.

On the back of weeks of speculation, the Red Devils announced that they had finally struck a deal with Dutch champions Ajax, over a big-money deal for the aforementioned Martinez.

The Argentine, also a target of Premier League rivals Arsenal ahead of next season, is primed to put pen to paper on a long-term contract in Manchester over the days ahead, in the process reuniting with former boss Erik ten Hag.

As alluded to above, though, had the transfer team at Old Trafford had their way, it may well have been another in-demand defender to have linked up with United ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The player in question? Pau Torres.

As per a report from The Telegraph, those in a position of power had long identified Villarreal stalwart Torres as the club’s no.1 defensive target this summer.

Such advice, in turn, was passed onto new boss Ten Hag, on the back of an extended spell of scouting in the Spanish region of Castellon.

The new man on the bench at the Theatre of Dreams, however, was unwavering in his stance that a move for Martinez was the right option for the club, banking on his first-hand experience overseeing the 24-year-old’s development in Amsterdam.

In a showcase of trust for their new tactician, the Red Devils hierarchy, in turn, fully backed Ten Hag, in diverting course from Torres, to focus their full attentions on striking a deal for Martinez.

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