Lisandro Martinez has demonstrated that a £60 million transfer is all it takes to put the past behind you.
When Martinez and Mason Mount lined up on opposing teams for the Premier League match between Manchester United and Chelsea in October, it didn’t seem like they were the greatest of buddies. There appeared to be ill will between the two, but that is no longer the case.
Following Mount’s formal transfer to Manchester United, the two might have been in for an unpleasant reunion. Instead, the England star was warmly welcomed by his former rival as he joined his new teammates for their first training session.
Life comes at you fast, Man Utd’s Twitter account captioned a before-and-after comparison post. In the first image, Luke Shaw is seen separating Martinez and Mount during the game in October, while in the second, the new teammates are shown grinning broadly during a training session.
Martinez quoted the image and added a little caption to Twitter. The World Cup victor wrote, “We’re pals now.
Martinez, a former defender for Ajax, gained the moniker “the butcher” for his violent style there. But if you’re on his side, it’s obviously not all about hostility for him.
Mount talked on his choice to quit Chelsea after more than 15 years after finishing his move. He joined the Blues academy when he was just six years old, and while playing for the London club, he won the Champions League, Super Cup, and Club World Cup.
In his words to MUTV, “I think over the last few months it became clear that I wasn’t in the plans moving forward [at Chelsea] and, once I knew that United were involved, my decision was made up.” It’s a gigantic club with enormous, legendary players who have played here.
“I wanted to get involved with that right away. Naturally, my major goal was to arrive early and get ready for the start of preseason.
“Getting there, being prepared on day one, and being able to meet all the players, the manager, and obviously get to work was the most important thing for me,” he said. We have a busy season ahead of us, and we want to succeed and win championships. So, yes, it was really significant for me to arrive on the first day and begin working.
The first Premier League matchup of the season between Manchester United and Chelsea won’t take place until December 6. Martinez seems to get along well with the Blues’ previous number 19, as well as the new number seven for United, but it remains to be seen whether he feels the same way about the current lineup.
