Scout Report – Federico Martinez
Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Federico Martinez, who plays as a midfielder for their namesake club based in Uruguay. He has been a regular for the Montevideo and his performances have attracted attention from the Reds – as well as a host of other clubs. Jurgen Klopp is understood to have sent his scouts to assess the youngster and the reports do seem positive. With the January window coming up, it does look like the opportune time for the German manager to go after his target.
Valued at £5million, Martinez might be interested in making the move to join the Merseyside club next month. That said, let’s take a closer look at his profile.
History
Born in 1996 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Martinez joined the youth set-up at Liverpool and then steadily made his way up the ranks to rise above his competition. Last season, he appeared 14 times for the club and made quite a mark. This time, he has become a regular for the side and he seems like an extremely talented individual. He is understood to have attracted attention due to his goal against Penerol earlier this season.
Martinez has also played for the Uruguay Under-17 side but is yet to make an appearance for the senior time. However, he is expected to receive a call-up sometime soon based on his stellar performances.
Playing Style
Martinez’s performances so far have drawn a lot of comparisons with Angel Di Maria. The duo shares similar skills and works in a similar fashion on the field. Much like the senior player, Martinez does not contribute much defensively but the aid he provides to the attack is truly commendable. Strong at passing and long shots, the youngster’s main strength lies in holding on to the ball.
Adept at taking set-pieces, Martinez likes cutting inside and is also strong at passing. His accuracy is quite impressive when it comes to shooting from a long range. However, the youngster needs to work on maintaining his focus for the whole game since it does seem like his concentration wavers now and then.
Martinez’s Future
The 21-year-old does seem like he is set for an extremely bright future after impressing for the Montevideo-based outfit, Liverpool. In fact, he has scored 3 times already this season while also providing 6 assists. Klopp could benefit by signing a promising youngster like him and £5million in today’s market is really not a lot of money. However, the player might harbour concerns about moving to a club where he might have to forego regular time on the field.