Man United boss Ten Hag welcomes 'warrior' Martinez; lauds his attitude, fighting spirit
Manchester United have completed the signing of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax in a deal worth up to 67 million euros and manager Erik ten Hag lauds the Argentina defender.
FollowIn what has sparked massive excitement among fans of Manchester United, Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez was officially unveiled by the Red Devil after completing the player's signing from Ajax in a deal worth upto 67 million euros.
United boss Erik ten Hag was eager to work with the 24-year-old player again after signing him for Ajax in 2019. He signs a five-year contract with the team, keeping him at Old Trafford through 2027 with an additional year option.
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"It's an honour to join this great football club," Martinez said. "I've worked so hard to get to this moment, and, now that I'm here, I'm going to push myself even further," the defender added.
Popularly called 'The Butcher', Martinez made 120 appearances for Ajax after moving from the Argentinian side Defensa y Justicia for 6.3 million pounds in 2019 and also played for Newell's Old Boys. Since making his senior debut in March 2019, he has earned seven caps for Argentina and has participated once in the nation's triumphant Copa America campaign in 2021.
"I've been lucky enough to be part of successful teams in my career, and that's what I want to continue at Manchester United. There will be a lot of work to get to that moment, but I firmly believe that, under this manager and coaches, and together with my new team-mates, we can do it," Martinez added.
The Argentine played under Ten Hag at Ajax and won the Eredivisie title with the club in 2021 and 2022 and the Dutch Cup in 2021. He was also Ajax's player of the year for the 2021-22 season.
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"He's a warrior, and I think the fans will admire him. He has an attitude, fighting spirit," Ten Hag said.
"He brings aggressiveness in the game, in a good way. I think we need that. But he's also skilful, he can deal with the ball, and he's left-footed," the United boss added.
United's football director John Murtough said, "We are delighted that he has chosen to join Manchester United, and we are looking forward to seeing him develop further and help the team achieve the success we are aiming for."
The centre-back is United's third signing of the summer following the arrivals of Christian Eriksen on a free transfer and Dutch full-back Tyrell Malacia.
