Since Erik ten Hag was appointed the new manager of Manchester United, the club have been linked with a number of players from his former club Ajax. This is not without reason however as it seems that the Dutchman wants to bring in players that he trusts or believes will be able to play his brand of football at Old Trafford.
The Manchester Evening News understands that United have agreed a fee with Barcelona for former Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who played under Ten Hag before his move to Barcelona. The club have also secured a deal for Tyrell Malacia who caught the manager's eye while playing for Feyenoord.
But back to Ajax, and Jurrien Timber, Antony and Lisandro Martinez have all been linked with moves to Old Trafford.
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Regarding Martinez, question marks have been raised by the United fanbase about where he would play for the team and also whether he would start ahead of their current options. But comments that Ten Hag has made in the past show both the defender's versatility but also his mindset to force himself into the side.
Ten Hag told Voetbal International in 2021, when Martinez was receiving limited minutes: "The competition is fierce at Ajax and therefore some players have to be patient. It is true that someone like Lisandro Martínez plays less than last season, but I am satisfied with him.
"He is an example of what my statement about more than eleven basic players is based on. Only its competition is enormous. He can play left back, left central defender and left controlling midfielder."
But Ten Hag was also complimentary of Martinez's attributes: "He has good technique, overview on the ball, dueling power, but he has less walking ability, for example. Our midfield has been given a different interpretation, which means that Martínez mainly has to compete with [Daley] Blind and [Nicolo] Tagliafico."
Fast forward to the end of the 2021/22 season and Martinez had become a key part of the Ajax defence and won their Player of the Season award. He pushed Blind to left-back and Tagliafico completely out of the side and if Ten Hag was to sign him you could expect that he would do the same thing at United.
He has the nickname 'The Butcher' and this is the mentality that United need in their defence. The fans want a player who can take the fight to their opponents and get them on their feet and Martinez would give them exactly that.
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