Atlanta United completed the loan signing of Josef Martinez from Serie A side Torino on Thursday, making him the club's third Designated Player heading into the season.
Third and final DP
Martinez joins Miguel Almiron and Hector Villalba as Atlanta's designated players for their debut MLS season and all three players are 23 or younger, a positive move for the club. The Venezuelan joined Torino in 2014, scoring just 13 times in 76 appearances, but with a new journey set to begin in his young career, there remains plenty of time for Martinez to show his talent.
The forward is still young and his ascension from South American to European soccer has been fast, but now has a new journey set to get underway in North America.
The move to Atlanta is a season long loan but includes an option to buy at the end. With just a month and a half until Atlanta United kick off their season, and with pre-season underway, the team has added yet another bright talent that could make a big impact. The move shows the vision that Atlanta United are showing as they are opting for a young, exciting attack in their debut season.
Plenty to Look Forward to
Club President Darren Eales spoke about the signing of Martinez, saying, "We're excited to have acquired another players who's entering the prime of his career and who has already experienced top competition in Europe and South America." He went on to praise Martinez's experience despite being just 23 and said the club is "confident in his ability to make a difference in MLS."
The striker has impressed in World Cup Qualification for Venezuela and will look to get going early as Atlanta kick off their season against the New York Red Bulls on March 5th at Bobby Dodd Stadium.