Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar reportedly 'made the most' of Lisandro Martinez's sale to Manchester United to get the highest possible transfer fee.
Untied are expected to sign Martinez, 24, in the coming days for an initial €54million (£45.1m). The deal is expected to include up to €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons and could be announced as early as Sunday after the player flew to Manchester to complete a medical.
Erik ten Hag is a big fan of Martinez after working with him for three years at Ajax, before he left the club in May to become United's new manager. The versatile defender is Ajax's reigning Player of the Year and is capable of playing at centre-back, left-back and at the base of midfield.
Martinez joined Ajax from Argentine side Defensa y Justicia in the summer of 2019 and has since played 120 games, helping them win four trophies - including two Eredivisie titles. At international level, he's won the Copa America and Finalissima in the last 12 months.
United are purchasing a player with a fine CV, but they may be paying over the odds. According to De Telegraaf, Van de Sar has 'done the utmost' to agree a big fee. It's claimed the £53.9m deal 'reimburses a lot' and Ajax are saying goodbye 'with a heavy heart'.
Former goalkeeper Van de Sar finished his career at Old Trafford aged 40, playing 266 games in six seasons between 2005 and 2011. The goalkeeper won countless honours during that time, including four Premier League titles, the Champions League and Club World Cup.
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Martinez is set to be Ten Hag's third signing as United boss following the arrivals of Feyenoord defender Tyrell Malacia and free agent Christian Eriksen. They are still hopeful of signing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, despite his well-known reservations.
Ex-United skipper Rio Ferdinand is looking forward to seeing Martinez in action. "The more I’ve looked into him and the vibes and the stories I’m hearing and the mutterings from different people – it gets better," the iconic defender told his YouTube channel.
"I listened to an interview with Jurrien Timber, the young player that United were looking to sign, the centre back Martinez played alongside at Ajax. He was basically saying: 'When I’m not on my game and a bit out of concentration, Martinez always shouts at me, he always swears at me in in his language and gets me going'."
Perhaps the biggest concern about Martinez is his height. He stands at 5ft 9in, making him six inches smaller than club captain Harry Maguire. Yet Ferdinand believes his versatility will be a huge asset to Ten Hag this coming season.
"If it suits them to play him in midfield and they want the extra body, an extra bit of resilience in front of the back four, protection and somebody who knows how to defend in there, then I think they may be utilizing that," added Ferdinand.
"But if we’ve got a lot of the ball and we’re expecting to dominate possession against the so-called lesser teams, maybe then he may not be called in for that position and may slot back into the centre-back position or maybe not even starting."
