He knows it'll come. The questions. The doubts. Op-eds will be devoted to it. Panel discussions will pore over it. Lisandro Martinez and his 1.75m frame. Is it enough to handle the demands of the Premier League at centre-half...?

English football. It's the land of monsters. Especially at the back. Especially at centre-half. And while he's versatile. Erik ten Hag has brought Martinez with him from Ajax to play in the centre of Manchester United's defence.

As sure as night follows day, the doubts will be raised. But Lisandro has heard it all before. Not just in Amsterdam, as he was first battling to establish himself at Ajax. But going all the way back to Newell's Old Boys, where he was effectively rejected because of his height.

One game into his senior career at Newell's and Lisandro was being offloaded to Defensa y Justicia. The fee? €725,000. Twelve months on, Lisandro was being sold to Ajax for €7m. And two years after making that move to Europe, the Argentine has become his nation's most expensive defensive transfer. United confirming on Sunday a deal worth €50m up front plus a further €5m bonuses. Lisandro now sits ahead of Walter Samuel, Nicolas Otamendi and Ezequiel Garay in terms of Argentina's richest defensive sales.

But there won't be any gloating or finger wagging aimed towards Newell's. That's not Lisandro's nature. Indeed, he still regrets a mistake in that singular appearance against Godoy Cruz: "Until today I have not forgiven myself for that goal on my debut."

Martinez arrives at Old Trafford with a reputation. The 'Butcher', a nickname given to him by Ajax's support, is one that doesn't sit comfortably. While happy his winner-takes-all attitude is recognised, Martinez says there's more to his game than a ruthless defensive approach.

"I will never intentionally injure an opponent. In Argentina they called me the pit bull. That covers my playing better. I bite into my opponent," he says. "When I'm on the field, I forget the world around me and I want to win at all costs. However, I don't think the comparison is quite right. I also have to rely on my technique."

Indeed, as a junior, Lisandro came through the ranks playing as a No10. Passing and creating has always been part of his game. It's what Sebastián Beccacece, his old coach at Defensa y Justicia, quickly identified and helped bring out during their two seasons together.

“On the one hand, there is the experience that the games give, because there are plays that you learn," Martinez says of his development. "But there is also all the work you do with your videos and those of other players. I worked hard to be the player that I am. I worked on the detail and the game situations. In those things, for example, Beccacece demanded a lot from me."

Development has always been at the forefront of Martinez's career. While he had that midfield background in Argentina, the shock of what he first encountered with Ajax had him going back to the basics - literally.

“In the first three weeks, I had a horrible time. It is totally different. Another intensity, other controls, other passes. Another game to read. At first I wanted to go home and cry. I felt bad. I am a player who likes to have the ball, but when they played me with one or two quick touches, they killed me. It was amazing how slow I was."

That trip back to basics included Lisandro spending time with Ajax's Under-8s simply to watch them run through their drills. He wanted to learn the Cruyff Way. Indeed, he had to - it had become a matter of survival.

In the end, the effort paid off - and was recognised by his now Manchester United manager. Ten Hag once noting, "He has needed adjustment in Amsterdam, also to the of play. He is embracing that better and better and what he mainly adds is the poison. That absolute will to win duels, to never give up. That transfers to other players, making the whole stronger. He has a very big input in that regard."

'The poison' is a phrase regularly associated with Lisandro within the Dutch game. Kenneth Perez, the former Ajax and PSV striker, agrees with Ten Hag's assessment.

“He brings that poison," says the pundit. "Sometimes to the point of annoying and sometimes with the risk of a penalty. But he really does manage things at the back. He really stands his ground in every duel. He's not too big, of course, but he's so strong and he's got a much better understanding."

And as for those additional weapons in his game, Perez insists: "He can play football very well. With his power, insight and in passing. Those are three things he's really good at. And he uses his body wonderfully."

But can that body, standing at 1.75m, handle the Premier League? For Jaap Stam the answer is a positive. United's Treble winning centre-half declaring: "In the past, defenders in England couldn't be big enough. Now most clubs and trainers want to play football.

"I have become a fan of his. I think he is a fantastic guy, with a good temperament and a winning mentality. For trainers, those are great players to work with."

Which is why Ten Hag fought so hard to bring Lisandro to Old Trafford. Those questions about his height will be raised. But they're also nothing new. Lisandro has made it a career of overcoming such doubts - and he hasn't lost yet.