West Ham 'close' to signing Valencia's Toni Martinez
West Ham head coach Slaven Bilic has confirmed that the English football club is "close" to signing Valencia's striker Toni Martinez.
"With Toni Martinez at Valencia, we are quite close. (West Ham academy director) Terry Westley with the U-21s does a great job, and if we finish (the deal), we will have one of the brightest young players from Valencia," Efe quoted Bilic as saying at a press conference on Thursday.
Martinez, who played with Spain's Under-17 and Under-19 selections, may come to West Ham for an estimated initial amount of 750,000 pounds sterling (about $1 million) while Valencia will keep a repurchase option.
Scouts from West Ham have been focused on the 18-year-old, after his good performances this season in the UEFA Youth League, a competition in which he scored a goal and assisted three in eight games played.