Newcastle United sign young Ecuadorian winger Johan Martínez

Newcastle United have completed a deal to sign highly-rated Ecuadorian winger Johan Martínez from Independiente del Valle.

The 16-year-old will officially join the Magpies after his 18th birthday in the summer of 2027 and will remain with Independiente del Valle in the meantime.

Johan was part of the Independiente del Valle youth team who won the Ecuadorian Under-17 title in December 2025.

Internationally, he is currently starring for Ecuador in the South American Under-17 Championships and was on target in Sunday evening’s victory over Chile as they reached the semi-finals.

Ross Wilson, Newcastle United Sporting Director, said: “We’re delighted to beat off serious competition from leading clubs across Europe to bring Johan to Newcastle United.

“Identifying and recruiting promising young players is a key part of how we build for the future, and our scouting and recruitment teams have worked diligently to secure Johan’s signature.

“Independiente del Valle have a strong reputation for developing young players and Johan has undoubtedly benefited from that environment. He will continue his progress there while we maintain a close connection with his development, and we look forward to welcoming him to Newcastle next year.”