Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag snubbed the chance to sign Kalidou Koulibaly and five other defenders instead of Lisandro Martinez last summer, according to reports.
Ten Hag made Ajax defender Martinez one of his top targets after leaving the Dutch club and signing a three-year deal at Old Trafford.
The 52-year-old manager signed Martinez for Ajax in 2019 and reunited with the centre-back in Manchester as United completed a £57m deal.
Several pundits questioned whether the diminutive Martinez could adapt to the Premier League but the 24-year-old has enjoyed an impressive start to his United career, helping the Red Devils climb into the Champions League places.
Manchester United knew they needed to sign a new centre-back for Ten Hag last summer and presented their new manager with a seven-player shortlist, according to The Times.
It is claimed Koulibaly – now at Chelsea – was on the list along with the likes of Pau Torres, Josko Gvardiol and Alessandro Bastoni.
But Ten Hag passed up on the defenders in favour of a move for Martinez, who last month was celebrating a World Cup win with Argentina.
Martinez’s ability to play out from the back was key for Ten Hag, who also wanted an aggressive left-footed centre-back in his defence.
More to follow…
January transfer window - FAQs
Read the latest transfer news and rumours on Metro.co.uk's dedicated page.
No comments:
Post a Comment