Queens Park Rangers are in a fight with another Championship club to secure the signing of former Ajax defender Ar’jany Martha, according to reports.
The defender was released by the Amsterdam side in the summer after graduating through the club’s academy system and made 12 appearances in what was a tough season for the Dutch giants. They recovered from early season relegation fears to secure a fifth-place finish in the Eredivisie, 35 points off the pace of league winners PSV Eindhoven.
Playing at left-back, Martha picked up a solitary assist across 700 minutes of play in the league and featured in the cup and twice in the Europa League against Marseille and AEK Athens. The tail end of the season saw the 20-year-old drop back into the Jong Ajax side competing in the Dutch second division.
According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, both Marti Cifuentes’ side and Watford ‘have made moves’ to sign the player who is available on a free transfer. Both Rangers and The Hornets struggled in the Championship last season and will be looking to bolster their squads heading into next season.
The London club avoided the drop in the final weeks of the season on their way to an 18th-place finish and have already made moves to strengthen their backline with former Wigan Athletic centre-back Liam Morrison from Bayern Munich and Brazillian right-back Hevertton Santos.
Having represented The Netherlands in the under-15 and under-17 brackets, Martha moved on to represent Curacao after being named in their senior squad for a training camp in Turkey in March. Dick Advocaat’s side have started well in their quest to qualify for the expanded 2026 World Cup with two wins in June.
Ajax boss John van ‘t Schip was very critical of the full-back’s effort in February after a 2-2 draw to NEC Nijmegen, which led him to be dropped for a Europa League trip to Bodo/Glimt. He said (Quotes via ESPN): “You have to play well and perform well. He clearly didn’t. And it’s also about: how are you on the field? That wasn’t good enough. We didn’t feel that there was someone who was going for it.
“Ajax is a professional club and not a charity. You’re not just taken along.”
Writer’s View
Championship clubs have been wary of Profit and Sustainability margins this summer, with Leeds United being a clear example of that with their sale of Archie Gray. Teams like QPR are searching for bargains and signing a player with some European experience on a free transfer does seem like a good deal.
Despite some questions raised over his performances in games, Ar’jany Martha does look to be a solid player who can deliver even with the limited chances he got in the Ajax senior side. He has regularly played second-division football with the B team though so he is ready to play professional football should he move to England and either Watford or Queens Park Rangers.
