Liverpool have won the race for a major signing, beating a host of top clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, to seal their first signature of the summer.
Slot under pressure at Liverpool as sack calls rumble on
It has been a season of deep frustration at Anfield.
12 months ago, Liverpool were champions of England, riding the crest of Arne Slot‘s remarkable debut campaign and investing more than £400m on signings designed to keep them at the summit.
Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak all arrived in a summer that was supposed to signal a new era of sustained dominance. Instead, it has produced one of the most alarming collapses in the club’s modern history.
Liverpool sit fifth on 59 points and have more or less secured Champions League qualification barring an extraordinary final day, and Slot will be relieved by that fact.
A 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa last Friday was the latest in a catalogue of dispiriting results that have defined the campaign — a 4-0 humiliation at Man City in the FA Cup quarter-finals, a 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest, a 4-1 mauling by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield in the Champions League.
At one stage, Liverpool lost nine of 12 games in all competitions, the club’s worst run since 1953/54.
The pressure on Slot has been immense.
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The England international could be one of many Hammers on the way out.
Large sections of the fanbase have turned against the Dutchman, criticising his cautious tactical approach and his inability to get the best out of the expensive squad at his disposal.
FSG have been linked with replacements, including Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso, who were both reportedly discussed internally before Alonso committed to Chelsea.
As things stand, however, the club have decided to stick with Slot, at least for now.
Against that turbulent backdrop, the recruitment team have been quietly getting on with the long-term planning that FSG have always prioritised.
And on Friday, the first piece of summer business was confirmed by reliable media sources.
Liverpool agree deal for Colombian starlet Samuel Martinez
According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are about to complete the signing of Samuel Martinez from Colombian club Atlético Nacional with a ‘full agreement reached’.
The 17-year-old attacking midfielder will join on a five-year contract for a fee of around $1m, with a sell-on clause included for the selling club.
Martinez will remain at Nacional for now and travel to Merseyside in 2027 once he turns 18, in line with FIFA regulations on international transfers of minors.
The deal represents a significant coup.
Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Benfica had all scouted Martinez, but Liverpool moved decisively to outbid the competition after Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra first reported the agreement.
Fabrizio Romano and the Times’ Paul Joyce have both confirmed the deal too.
Martinez starred for Colombia at last month’s CONMEBOL U17 South American Championship, wearing the number 10 shirt and registering three assists as his country beat Argentina 4-0 in the final to lift the trophy.
Standing at 6ft tall and blessed with excellent close control, vision and long-range shooting ability, he is regarded as one of the most exciting young talents to emerge from Colombian football in years.
It is a signing that speaks to Liverpool’s future rather than their present — a £740,000 investment in a teenager who will not kick a ball at Anfield for at least another year.
But in a season where so much has gone wrong, a reminder that the club are still capable of winning recruitment battles against Europe’s biggest names is no bad thing.
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Liverpool are expected to consider Mac Allister’s position in the team at the end of the season.