The Hammers have signed promising Spanish striker Toni Martinez from Valencia, the club have confirmed.
The 18-year-old has scored more than 100 goals in his last four seasons with Valencia, a record that has impressed the right people at West Ham.
The forward will officially join the club on July 1st, but Valencia have generously granted him permission to begin training at Chadwell Heath immediately, to help him settle into his new surroundings.
Martinez is a Spain U17 international and was also part of the U19 squad that won the European Championships in 2015.
Speaking about his arrival at the club, Martinez said:
For me, it’s a great opportunity to be here and I hope to make the most of being at such a big club. I joined West Ham because of the progress that the club is making. The decision to come here was made because it is a brilliant opportunity to join an interesting club in the Premier League.
Martinez, who turns 19 in June, admits he’s often compared to a certain Fernando Torres.
The Spaniard will join up with Terry Westley’s Development Squad initially, but has stated his ambition to force his way into Slaven Bilic’s first team plans eventually.
