Father of new Liverpool star admits son picked Anfield over Chelsea, he only cost £750k
Chelsea are renowned for signing the best young talent from around the world. Even this summer, Honest Ahanor’s signature was secured – but they missed out on a new Liverpool wonderkid.
This summer, Chelsea targeted more experience, but they still brought in Geovany Quenda, Denner, Harrison Bettoni, and plenty more. American talent Benji Flowers will join Chelsea when he’s 18, in 2029.
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Chelsea’s pursuit of young talent did not stop, and it lasted the entire window. Right until the deadline too when it was announced that Honest Ahanor would join Chelsea in 2027 after a loan at Palace.
Samuel Martinez’s father admits picking Liverpool over Chelsea
Ahanor starred for Palace on debut, but Chelsea also missed out on some talented youngsters, and one of those is new Liverpool teen Samuel Martinez. Yet to make his senior debut, Liverpool have signed him.
Jairo Martinez, a former professional footballer, says his son Samuel had interest from some of Europe’s best clubs like Chelsea. On Noticias Caracol, the father of Martinez says he made the decision himself.
“Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Barcelona, Watford, Udinese, Chelsea, Manchester United, among others, all wanted him,” the player’s father said. His mother, Victoria Valencia, claims 30 clubs were keen.
“It was like a dream to experience. 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.”
Why would Martinez opt against Chelsea?
Jamie Carragher is famed for saying, why would any young Chelsea player join Chelsea? Such is the wealth of young talent that Chelsea boast, and how the pathways into the first team are blocked.
But the Blues continue to hand out opportunities. On Wednesday night, 16-year-old Reggie Walsh started for Chelsea against Leeds in the Carabao Cup. Plenty of young talent have joined big clubs on loan.
It is unclear what Liverpool offered that made Anfield stand out above the others, for Martinez. Perhaps the treatment of a fellow South American, Kendry Paez, won’t have helped things; Paez is back at Chelsea.
Martinez will join Liverpool at the end of the season, in 2027, after completing another season with Colombian side Atletico Nacional. It is expected that Martinez will be fast-tracked into the senior side.
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