Newcastle United are close to signing Independiente del Valle’s highly-rated attacker Johan Martinez, according to Rudy Galetti.
Despite strong interest from some elite clubs across Europe, the Magpies appear to have won the race for his signature.
At just 16 years old, Martinez is widely regarded as one of the most promising young players in South American football.
Martinez, who has previously been linked with Liverpool, has incredible speed and can play on either wing, but is equally comfortable as a central striker.
The terms of the deal mirror last year’s move for Vakhtang Sarria, with the forward remaining at his current club until he officially joins Newcastle on his 18th birthday.
The move further underlines Newcastle’s ongoing strategy of identifying and recruiting world-class prospects long before they reach their peak value, and is the first signing under Newcastle’s new South American scouting network.
