The father of Liverpool’s new 17-year-old attacking midfielder, Samuel Martinez, has revealed that his son held talks but ultimately rejected several European clubs this summer, including Manchester City, as per emerging reports.
Jeremy Monga joined Manchester City from Leicester City this summer before being loaned out to Swansea City.
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The Merseyside club confirmed that an agreement was in place with Atletico Nacional to bring the prospective talent to Anfield, but the deal can only be fully completed when Martinez turns 18 next year.
The Colombian youngster won the U17 South American Championship five months ago, where he provided three assists in six matches across the tournament, including one against Brazil in the semi-final and one in the final versus Argentina.
Distinctively, Martinez is a fairly tall attacking midfielder at 6ft, but still manages to weave in and around opponents while utilising as much of his strength to protect the ball.
The wonderkid is set to play alongside Florian Wirtz in some capacity as of next season - even if he begins his career in England in the academy - and possesses similar qualities to the Germany international.
Martinez’s endurance is one of his strongest selling points, and he pairs that with the fact that he presses tirelessly while out of possession to help prevent opposition build-up play - his passing and awareness are equally important attributes to look out for.
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The way in which Martinez impressed during the U17 competition in Paraguay attracted interest from several major clubs across Europe, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona.
In an interview with Gol Caracol, Martinez’s father, Jairo Martinez, revealed that other clubs, such as Borussia Dortmund, Watford, Udinese, among others, “all wanted him”.
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Martinez’s mother, Victoria Valencia, opened up about the hectic period that was about as endearing as it could have been stressful, specifically because they had to deal with the entire situation in a different time zone.
“It was like a dream to experience that it wasn't just Liverpool. There were 30 teams around the world, and we spent almost a month and a half without sleep. Everyone was calling at all hours. We lived on European time for a month,” she told Gol Caracol, with comments translated and relayed by Sport Witness.
Wonderkid “Made Decision Himself” to Pick Anfield Switch Over Etihad Stadium And is Already Learning English
The 17-year-old had perhaps the toughest choice to make when it came down to the offers he had thudded onto his desk, and despite reportedly holding talks with City, United and Chelsea, it was ultimately Liverpool who he eventually chose.
“We had conversations with everyone, but Samuel made the decision. We can say whatever he wants, but we rely on what he wants, what he decides, what he feels comfortable with,” his parents said.
After completing the move, Martinez has plenty of time to learn the English language as he begins transferring his life over to Merseyside, and when he officially joins the Reds in April next year, he will be prepared on and off the pitch.
“Samuel learned to read and write in English. Now he has a personal tutor with whom he studies every day to make his English more fluent and eventually master it perfectly," said his father.