Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar provided an insight into Lisandro Martinez‘s move to Manchester United. The former United goalkeeper, now the chief executive officer at Ajax, revealed that Arsenal had placed an offer on the table for the Argentine.
However, the offer was so low that the Dutch champions preferred to ignore the deal and look for other reliable projects. The Red Devils swooped in with a much-improved bid that met Ajax’s asking price.
The offer was on the table, and Van der Sar could not refuse the deal. The club’s CEO revealed that the English club was serious about signing the centre-back and had tabled a bid of around £55 million for their star player.
Van der Sar kindly accepted the deal as both clubs have good connections. As reported by the Athletic, the former United player admitted that the Eredivise side rejected a bid from the Gunners until a new offer came in through Erik ten Hag’s side.
“Arsenal came earlier for Lisandro, but it was an amount where we said: Thank you very much for the offer, but we’d rather keep the player than start negotiating. With United, it was a little bit different. We’ve had a few conversations over the years, including with Daley Blind and Donny van de Beek. My job is to make sure I make the best decisions for Ajax.”
United have good connections with Ajax since they’ve had several negotiations between them in the past few transfer windows. Van de Beek was signed in 2020, and Antony and Martinez followed suit by joining the Old Trafford outfit.
However, the Brazilian cost a fortune. Antony became the most expensive signing this summer, costing £100 million. There may be more deals between the two sides, and Van der Sar’s presence at the helm has made things easier for United.
Several reports have also linked the former Dutch goalkeeper with a move to United in a new role.
