[Newcastle United](https://readnewcastle.com/2026/08/19/already-approved-fabrizio-romano-nico-gonzalez-newcastle-united-news/) need to make quite a few signings before this ongoing summer transfer window comes to an end. Otherwise, the team is not in a good spot as things stand.
The pre-season results were poor, to put it mildly. Now, one might argue that they don’t matter. But when combining the other circumstances surrounding the club.
This is a team that had finished 12th in the Premier League last season. That has been followed by the departures of arguably their three best players in the form of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. Long-time manager, Eddie Howe, also walked away in the middle of pre-season.
So, it goes without saying that new signings are needed. And they need to be players who can make an immediate impact. That being said, that does not mean that they can overlook the future either.
According to a report from [The Shields Gazette](https://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/johan-martinez-newcastle-united-transfer-8927579), Johan Martinez was pictured at St James’ Park ahead of his upcoming transfer to Newcastle United.
Newcastle United have already agreed a deal to sign Martinez from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle. It is believed to be a £2.6 million fee for the winger, though he won’t officially join until he turns 18 in May of next year.
Obviously, those who keep up with South American football will know that Independiente del Valle have one of the best academy setup in the world.
The majority of the top talents in Ecuadorian football have come through their system. Names like Moises Caicedo, William Pacho, Piero Hincapie, Joel Ordonez and several more belong on that list.
So, Martinez has certainly had the best training that he can get at the academy level in Ecuadorian football. And more importantly, it is one that has shown the capability to develop players for the European game.
It remains to be seen how things go for Martinez. It is worth noting that he has already represented Ecuador at the U17 level. And you expect that, considering he is Newcastle United bound.
The talent is not in question. But a lot of the time, it is about doing it justice as well. Let’s just take a look at another Ecuadorian talent who came through the Independiente del Valle setup.
It was not too long ago that Kendry Paez was considered the biggest talent in Ecuadorian football, arguably all of South America. And yet, at 19 years of age, he looks completely lost despite having played 23 times for his national team and moved to Chelsea.
So, it is impossible to predict what a youngster’s trajectory will look like. What Martinez needs is to find his feet in senior football over this next year before making his move to Newcastle United.