Manchester United's Harry Maguire has played on the right side of the centre of defence in pre-season matches. Maguire has played on the left side during his time at the club and that tactical change from Erik ten Hag this summer has been interesting.
United made the signing of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax official on Wednesday afternoon and Maguire's position change seems to have been in preparation for him to play alongside the Argentine. Martinez is left-footed and he played on the left side of the central defence for Ajax, where he won two Eredivisie titles in Ten Hag's team.
Martinez made 118 appearances across three seasons for Ajax and he built quite the reputation in the Netherlands. Martinez established himself as an excellent, aggressive defender but he also proved that he wasn't an ordinary centre-back.
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The 24-year-old is outstanding with the ball at his feet and his dynamic range of passing makes him a genuinely unique asset at the back. Martinez orchestrated transitions at Ajax and his adventurous runs forward were also a staple of his performances.
Martinez's arrival is exciting, but attention has been drawn to his height and that's not a surprise considering he stands at a diminutive 5ft 9ins for a centre-back in the Premier League. There are doubts surrounding Martinez's height but that's nothing new.
Martinez has been forced to prove the doubters wrong his whole career. "Some people doubt me because of my length, but that was something which gave me even more motivation," Martinez said in Ajax's emotional farewell tribute.
Whatever Martinez may lack in height, he makes up with heart, desire and passion. He is a typical, fiery South American on the pitch and he's exactly the type of character that the club's dressing room is desperate for after some spineless displays last season.
Ajax fans nicknamed Martinez 'The Butcher of Amsterdam' during his time at the club and that gives an idea of the type of player that United have signed. "He's a warrior and I think the fans will admire him. He has an attitude, fighting spirit," Ten Hag said after United's deal to sign Martinez was announced. "He brings aggressiveness in the game, in a good way. I think we need that.
"But also, he's also skilful and he can deal with the ball and he's left-footed. I think it's important, yeah [knows Ten Hag's tactics]. I think the Premier League is high intensity, lots of challenges. We need such players [with fighting spirit]."
United's performances last season showed there were deep-rooted problems at the club and on that extensive list was the lack of characters in the dressing room. There might be doubts over Martinez's height but there can't be doubts about his character.
"We will miss you as a person & footballer," Ajax's club social media statement read yesterday and that was telling. Ten Hag has turned to players he already knows - Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Martinez - in the summer transfer market for a reason.
Ten Hag's rebuild of the club is under way and bringing the 'right players' with the right characters to Old Trafford is something he understands the importance of. Ten Hag already knows exactly what Martinez will bring to the dressing room.
He will fight for the badge and it's easy to see him becoming a fan favourite. Ander Herrera wore his heart on his sleeve, just like Martinez does on the pitch, during the five years he spent in Manchester and he left the club with cult hero status.
Martinez will be a success if he can be remembered like Herrera.
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