Decision made: BVB miss out on top talent | OneFootball

A highly sought-after top talent has decided his future. Borussia Dortmund have missed out in the race for a 17-year-old Colombian, who will instead join Liverpool FC.

Borussia Dortmund have suffered a setback in the race for one of South America’s most coveted talents. Seventeen-year-old Samuel Martínez has decided against BVB and will play for Liverpool FC in the future. The Reds officially confirmed the transfer on Tuesday.

The attacking midfielder is currently still under contract with Atlético Nacional and will remain there for the time being. Since Martínez will not turn 18 until April 5, 2027, the move to England cannot be completed until then. According to media reports, Liverpool will pay around €875,000 to the Colombian top-flight club, which is also said to have secured a sell-on clause for any future transfer.

In Liverpool, Martínez is said to have signed a contract until 2032 and will initially be introduced to senior football through the academy or the U21s. BVB were among the clubs that were pushing hard to sign the playmaker. At one point, Sky even reported that negotiations were at a very advanced stage, or that there was already a basic agreement with the talent.

BVB miss out on Samuel Martínez

In the end, however, the deal fell through. The deciding factors were reportedly the financial demands from the player’s camp and the terms of the transfer, which Dortmund were not willing to fully meet. Liverpool then took advantage of the opportunity and secured the deal.

Photo: Getty Images

Alongside Borussia Dortmund, several other top European clubs are also said to have shown interest in Martínez. The Colombian attracted the attention of numerous scouts at the U17 South American Championship in April. He won the title with his home country and impressed with three assists in six appearances. He particularly stood out in the knockout matches against Brazil (3:0) and Argentina (4:0), delivering an assist in each game and playing a key role in the number 10 position.

Only a few weeks ago, BVB signed two promising talents in Liam Kanté and Bjarki Hrafn Gardarsson. After Justin Lerma from Ecuador and Kaua Prates from Brazil, Martínez would already have been the third highly gifted South American that the Black and Yellows had earmarked for the future. That chapter, however, will now be written at Liverpool FC.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.