TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS:Report
Pity Martinez might not be coming to FC Cincinnati after all, according to a report Monday night from Laurel Pfahler that cites the former Atlanta United star’s agent saying a move is “not a possibility.”
Martinez was linked to the Queen City club in early February, all on the heels of reports of Brenner coming to MLS from Sao Paulo. The Brazilian forward indeed arrived in Cincinnati as a Young Designated Player, though Pity might not be following in his wake.
Martinez, 27, originally joined Atlanta United in 2019 shortly after earning South American Footballer of the Year honors while at River Plate. He was billed as a replacement for Miguel Almiron, with the Paraguayan midfielder securing a transfer to Newcastle United shortly after helping the Five Stripes win MLS Cup in 2018.
But Martinez experienced ups and downs while in Atlanta, never quite hitting his stride under former head coach Frank de Boer. The Argentine international managed seven goals and 11 assists in 39 games (33 starts), but fell short of his Designated Player expectations in some respects.
That opened the door for a September 2020 move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr FC, where Martinez has found four goals and five assists in 24 games across all competitions. A left-footed No. 10, the transfer came with a reported $18 million fee.
FC Cincinnati have expressed interest all offseason in landing a No. 10, hoping to jumpstart their attack as they open West End Stadium in 2021. They’ve also been linked to former D.C. United playmaker Luciano Acosta, while now-Sevilla playmaker Papu Gomez emerged as a possible target before he departed Italy's Atalanta.
