Arsenal express interest in South American u17 Championship winner

Arsenal have expressed an interest in South American u17 Championship winner Samuel Martinez, according to a report from Germany.

Philipp Kessler reports for German outlet TZ that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur expressed an interest in Samuel Martinez on the day of the final of the South American u17 Championship, joining a group of top clubs chasing the player.

Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund have been linked with interest, though they’re currently hesitating on their next moves. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich also sense an opportunity to lure the player to Europe.

Teenage attacking-midfielder Martinez currently plays for Nacional in Colombia, as well as the Colombia u17s.

It was with the Colombia u17s that Martinez made an impression on scouts recently, as he helped the team to win the South American u17 Championship.

The midfielder assisted Colombia’s opening goal in their final group game, the semi-final, and the final, putting his team on track to victory in each case. The final was a particularly emphatic 4-0 win over Argentina.

All five clubs would have to wait until Martinez turns 18 in April 2027 to finalise the transfers, as he’s currently not eligible to join clubs in England or Germany, but they could agree a deal ahead of that date.

We’ve already seen Arsenal do so in recent months with the likes of Victor Ozhianvuna of Shamrock Rovers and Edwin and Holger Quintero of Independiente del Valle, so it wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary for the Gunners at this point.

The Quintero brothers also starred at the South American u17 Championship, helping Ecuador to a respectable 4th-place finish behind Brazil, Argentina, and champions Colombia.

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