West Ham agree terms to sign Valencia striker Toni Martinez
West Ham United have reached an agreement with Valencia for the services of Spain Under-19 starlet Toni Martinez, IBTimes UK understands. The 18-year-old forward is expected to visit London early next week to undergo a medical, before completing his move to the Hammers.
Martinez moved to Valencia from Murcia in 2013 and has progressed through the youth ranks to be seen as the latest in a production line of talent that, in recent years, has produced the likes of Manchester City's David Silva, Barcelona's Jordi Alba and Real Madrid's Isco.
Martinez has featured at both U17 and U19 level for Spain and attracted the eye of West Ham with his performances in the Uefa Youth League, where his team were controversially knocked out by Chelsea following a refereeing blunder during a penalty shoot out.
Martinez's agent, Fede Marco, told IBTimes UK earlier this week that West Ham and Valencia were in advanced negotiations to clinch a deal that would see the player join the Hammers' U21 side, with the target of breaking through into the first team in the near future.
Sources close to the negotiations have confirmed to IBTimes UK that both clubs have ironed out the fine print, and the deal is just pending the player's medical. Martinez will fly out to London to undergo his check-up at West Ham before putting pen to paper. It is not known if he will remain in London or go back to Valencia until the end of the season, however it is thought the teenager is keen to move to England as soon as possible to aid his adaptation to a new country.
The deal is worth in the region of €1m (£750,000, $1.14m), which could eventually rise to €3m, while Spanish sources have reported that Valencia have inserted a buy-back clause in the contract.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.