Earlier on Wednesday, Manchester United officially announced the signing of Argentine centre-back Lisandro Martinez.
With the age of social media, United fans had become increasingly exasperated of when their new signing would be officially announced, with United reaching an agreement with Ajax for Martinez on July 17.
The Athletic have reported that the hold-up was due to visa issues, with Brexit playing a larger part in this sort of scenario whilst players are switching clubs.
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The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union has meant players being granted a visa to work in the UK have become a lengthier process.
Once this issue was resolved, United had to transfer his registration with Ajax, with the deal announced on July 17 due to the Dutch club’s stock market disclosure requirement.
The way in which the deal was announced is an unusual format for United, with the Reds often making official announcements only after all finer details are completed, though we have seen this type of announcement previously with the arrival of Raphael Varane last summer from Real Madrid, as well as much more recently with former interim manager Ralf Rangnick’s appointment.
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The Athletic’s report written by Dan Sheldon goes on to state that clubs are now having to use a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) calculator to work out whether their potential signing will be granted a visa.
Once a club-to-club agreement has been reached, it is then in the hands of the Home Office to run through the details.
Martinez was pictured arriving at Carrington on Monday morning with fellow new arrival Christian Eriksen, with both signings well-known to United boss Erik ten Hag.
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Upon signing his contract, Martinez said: “It’s an honour to join this great football club.
"I’ve worked so hard to get to this moment and, now that I’m here, I’m going to push myself even further.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be part of successful teams in my career and that’s what I want to continue at Manchester United.
"There will be a lot of work to get to that moment, but I firmly believe that, under this manager and coaches, and together with my new teammates, we can do it.”
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Martinez has made 177 career club appearances, winning the Eredivisie twice in his time at the Johan Cruyff Arena, having also represented his national side Argentina seven times and was part of the Albiceleste squad that won last summer’s Copa America.
There have been some concerns expressed about the 24-year-old’s height, with Martinez standing at just 1.75m and playing predominantly as a centre-back, however, he has previously stepped into midfield when asked by manager Erik ten Hag at Ajax
He started, alongside other new boy, Eriksen, in United's 4-1 victory against Wrexham in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
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The Danish midfielder found the scoresheet.
Topics: Manchester United, Transfers, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Lisandro Martinez, Ajax, Erik Ten Hag, Football, Premier League
Aadam Haladh