**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](https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2026/04/07/johan-martinez-signs-newcastle-untied-documents-report/) 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.
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](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/newcastle-united-sign-young-ecuadorian-winger-johan-martinez), 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._
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> _“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._
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> _“Independiente del Valle have a strong reputation for developing young players and Johan has undoubtedly benefited from that environment._
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> _“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.”_
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.