Colombian gem Samuel Martinez turned down Chelsea and Manchester United in favour of a move to Liverpool.
Liverpool have secured a deal to sign 17-year-old Colombian prospect Samuel Martinez. The teenager has chosen the Merseyside club ahead of Chelsea and Manchester United, with a host of other European giants also in pursuit.
Martinez, who plays for Atletico Nacional, has decided Liverpool will be his destination when he turns 18. In an exclusive interview with Gol Caracol, his parents revealed that Chelsea and Manchester United, among other top clubs, all pursued him, but the Merseyside club ultimately emerged as his preference.
The level of interest surged after Martinez helped Colombia win the South American Under-17 Championship in Paraguay. His performances drew dozens of approaches from across Europe, forcing his family to weigh each offer carefully.
Why Martinez ended up choosing Liverpool?
“It was like a dream to experience that it wasn’t just Liverpool. There were 30 teams around the world, and we didn’t sleep for almost a month and a half. Everyone was calling at all hours. We lived on European time for a month,” his mother Victoria Valencia said.
Despite the number of options, the final decision belonged to Martinez himself. His parents and representatives assessed each club’s project, but the teenager ultimately felt that Liverpool offered the right environment for his development.
Chelsea’s entire project revolves around signing the best young talents, but they already have a number of attacking options in their ranks; as a result, a move to Stamford Bridge would have resulted in a lot of competition to break into the first team. At Manchester United, things could have been a touch easier, but the Liverpool project seems to have impressed him the most.
“We had conversations with everyone, but the decision was Samuel’s. We can say whatever we want, but we respect his wishes, his decisions, what he feels comfortable with. And he felt a connection to going to Liverpool,”
“Every time an offer came in, we would sit down, plan, and look at which options were better than the others. Samuel is the one who makes the final decision, and at that time, he chose Liverpool,” they added.
Liverpool’s track record with Colombian players helped sway the teenager. The impact Luis Diaz made during his time at the club appears to have created a pathway for South American prospects.
“Lucho Díaz opened the doors to all Colombians. They saw in Samuel all that potential he had, which was almost similar to the things Lucho Díaz does,” Martinez’s parents said.
Martinez’s playing style was another major draw for Liverpool. His father highlighted his pace, movement, and ability to unbalance defenders while supporting teammates.
“He’s fast, has a good change of pace, is good at unbalancing defenders, has good vision, supports his teammates very well, and looks for open spaces,” his father explained.
His decision-making in high-pressure moments, a critical asset in English football’s intensity, also caught the club’s attention.
“English football is a very fast-paced game. When it comes to making decisions in such short periods of time, he handles those situations well,” his father said.
Although the move will only be finalised next summer after Martinez turns 18, Liverpool have secured one of Colombia’s most promising young talents despite competition from Europe’s elite. While he prefers playing as a ten, he can feature in deeper roles as well as out wide on the flanks. He is likely to start with their Under-21s, but given his massive potential, it won’t be long before he is involved with the first team.
