EPL: We’ll keep our player – Van der Sar reveals why Ajax rejected Arsenal over Martinez

 

Ajax sporting director, Edwin van der Sar has revealed how Arsenal lost out in their bid to sign defender Lisandro Martinez over the summer.

He said the Dutch side did not even bother entering into negotiations with Mikel Arteta’s side after they presented a ridiculous offer for the Argentine.

Arsenal first showed interest in the 24-year-old central defender before switching their attention to Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Martinez would later move to Old Trafford where he has now established himself as one of the first choice defenders under his former boss at Ajax, Erik ten Hag.

He moved to Old Trafford for a fee around £56.7million but it all could have been so different had Arsenal been prepared to enter a bidding war.

Van der Sar, a former United goalkeeper, told The Athletic: “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. Over the years we have had a few conversations: Daley Blind, Donny van de Beek.”