EPL

Martinez excited for reunion with 'intense' Ten Hag at Man Utd

By Sports Desk July 27, 2022

Lisandro Martinez says the lure of reuniting with Erik ten Hag played a big part in his decision to join Manchester United from Ajax.

The Argentine defender has moved to Old Trafford in a £56.7million deal on a contract until June 2027, with the option of a further year.

Martinez caught the eye in the Eredivisie and Champions League with Ajax and Arsenal were reported to hold an interest in landing him, but the opportunity to play under United boss Ten Hag again was difficult to resist.

"I was with him three years at Ajax and I know his style of playing," he told the club's official website.

"With him, I improved a lot, to be honest. He's here in Manchester now, so again the opportunity was there and for sure he’s very important in my [career].

"[He's] very intense, for sure. Good football. Winning mentality, you know? That's the most important [thing].

"Every player needs to have things clear. I think he's very clear also. So I think, with him, every day you can learn and then, in the game, you can understand also fully – tactics and everything.

"How did he help me to improve? In how we can understand fully the situations, the decisions inside the pitch. He’s there in every detail."

Martinez is looking forward to making his debut, with thte Red Devils set to face Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano before kicking off the new Premier League campaign against Brighton and Hove Albion.

"Now I can feel the fire, you know? I want to train right now, with the team. For sure, we will work hard to put the club in the high levels," the new signing said.

"I will give my 100 per cent every game, in every training [session]. For sure, also the team, we will do it. We will play as a team."

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