Erik ten Hag has lifted the lid on how he persuaded Lisandro Martinez to reject Arsenal and join him at Manchester United.

The former Ajax boss told Voetbal: “Martinez himself wanted to leave Ajax anyway. If we hadn’t taken him, he would have gone to Arsenal.

“They wanted him anyway, he was top priority there. Licha (Martinez) called me at one point: ‘Coach, listen, I’m leaving Ajax anyway. I can sign with Arsenal, but if you want me, I’m going to Manchester United.’

“Then I thought: ‘I shouldn’t shoot myself and United in the foot either’. He really wasn’t staying in Amsterdam, that was out of the question. Then we struck and it all worked out.”

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