Ross Wilson: Newcastle have beaten off serious competition to sign Johan Martinez
Newcastle United's bid to sign Johan Martinez has been well documented in recent weeks, and we've finally received confirmation today.
After documents were signed last week from the player's end, Newcastle have announced today that a deal has been agreed for the 16-year-old Ecuadorian.
As a club statement confirms, Martinez will remain at Independiente del Valle, with the teenage talent due to arrive on Tyneside once he's turned 18 in 2027.
It's a step in the right direction regarding our ability to land highly-rated gems from South American, and Sporting Director Ross Wilson has spoken out on the signing.
Wilson delighted to win Martinez battle
Ross Wilson has revealed that Newcastle beat off a number of European heavyweights to land Johan Martinez.
The former Nottingham Forest man has talked up our ability to secure top young talent and build towards a bright future, hailing our recruitment team for landing a youngster who hails from the same Ecuadorian academy that developed Chelsea's Moises Caicedo, Arsenal's Piero Hincapie and PSG's Willian Pacho.
Speaking to the club's official website, Wilson discussed the deal and the plans in place for his arrival next year:
"We’re delighted to beat off serious competition from leading clubs across Europe to bring Johan to Newcastle United.
“Identifying and recruiting promising young players is a key part of how we build for the future, and our scouting and recruitment teams have worked diligently to secure Johan’s signature.
“Independiente del Valle have a strong reputation for developing young players and Johan has undoubtedly benefited from that environment.
"He will continue his progress there while we maintain a close connection with his development, and we look forward to welcoming him to Newcastle next year.”
A sign of things to come?
Hopefully this is the first of many gems that arrive from lesser-known markets, especially when chief scout Steve Nickson has spent significant time on scouting missions in South America.
