One Colombian midfielder has now passed his medical ahead of a Liverpool move.
Liverpool’s recruitment machine does not sleep, and while the first-team summer storylines have dominated headlines, the club’s global scouting network has been quietly executing a different kind of business entirely.
The kind that does not make the back pages today but tends to define the squad depth of five years from now.
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It is a philosophy that has been refined over several transfer windows.
Rather than waiting for talents to become household names and price tags to balloon, Liverpool’s recruitment department moves early.
Sometimes very early.
The signings of Senegal Under-20 defender Mor Talla Ndiaye and Austria centre-back Ifeanyi Ndukwe earlier this summer followed exactly that pattern.
Both teenagers.
Both identified before the mainstream market had arrived at their doorstep.
The latest name to follow that trajectory has made the journey even further, flying into the United Kingdom today alongside his family and his agent, Daniel Neumuller, to complete what those close to the deal are already describing as a historic moment for Colombian football.
According to the Evening Standard, 17-year-old Colombian attacking midfielder Samuel Martinez has travelled to Merseyside to undergo his medical and has completed it, with the deal understood to be worth in the region of £750,000.
Martinez first announced himself to the wider football world during the South American Under-17 Championship in April, where he was one of the standout performers across the entire competition.
His most memorable contribution came during Colombia’s victory over Argentina in the final, a result that sent scouts scrambling to update their reports and European clubs scrambling to make contact.
He is also expected to represent his country at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar later this year, meaning his development continues at the highest youth level even as his Anfield future takes shape.
The structure of the agreement reflects his age.
Martinez turns 18 in April 2027 and cannot officially become a Liverpool player until next summer.
As part of the arrangement, he will remain with Atletico Nacional for the upcoming season, continuing his development in familiar surroundings while Liverpool’s team, including long-serving head of South American scouting Fernando Troiani, academy recruitment chief Chris Dowling, and director of global talent Matt Newberry, monitor his progress.
Liverpool faced strong competition from several European clubs before winning the race for his signature.
The future has already begun arriving at Anfield.