TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS:Rumor
One of early breakout stars of the Copa América has been linked with a potential MLS move.
Forward Roger Martinez, one of the stars of Colombia's tournament-opening upset of Argentina, has reportedly asked to leave Liga MX side Club América for a move north, according to reports from Univision and Marca. There’s some heat behind Martinez’s name as of late, as he scored the opener in a 2-0 win for La Tricolor against Argentina and Lionel Messi in their Copa América Group B opener last Saturday.
It was a true golazo, as Martinez collected a long switch, cut in on his right foot and left goalkeeper Franco Armani with little chance on a far-post rifle.
Martinez, who turns 25 on June 23, arrived last summer at Club América, where he has registered 14 goals and two assists across 40 appearances in both league and cup play. He’s under contract with Las Águilas until 2023, so a transfer fee and/or loan deal would have to be involved for any MLS-bound move.
The forward has also experienced a winding club career which began in 2013 for Racing Club of Argentina. Martinez impressed enough to earn a move to Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning, and then moved briefly to La Liga side Villarreal, who still retain 50% of the player's rights.
As the summer wears on, MLS clubs will eye reinforcements the Secondary Transfer Window from July 9 to Aug. 7. A player of Martinez’s caliber and profile is could very well command a Designated Player or high-level Targeted Allocation Money deal.
