President Of Deportivo Saprissa Confirms The Union Are Negotiating A Transfer For Josue Martinez

The Philadelphia Union are negotiating with Deportivo Saprissa over a transfer for Josue Martinez, Saprissa President Juan Carlos Rojas confirmed on 103.9 FM program Primer Tiempo. Costa Rican soccer news outlet everardoherrera.com picked up on reports from the United States about Martinez and is reporting that Rojas said on the radio show that the Union have had contact with Saprissa over the 21-year-old.

"I don't want to go into detail. But there has been interest shown by the Union. There is interest as well as contact," Rojas told Primer Tiempo

According to Rojas the negotiations are quite advanced, to the point where an announcement about Martinez moving to the Union could be made as soon as Sunday. The speculated price of the potential transfer is thought to be somewhere between $400-500,000, at least half of what Martinez's transfer price was thought to be just six months ago.

Saprissa are currently in the Costa Rican league playoffs, but are losing to Alajuelense 1-0. If they are eliminated, it's quite possible that Saprissa will want to cash in on their young forward. Deportivo has a history of selling players with high potential at a young age to overseas teams. Last year Saprissa sold another young striker with high potential, Joel Campbell, to Arsenal for $1 million, and they also sold current Real Salt Lake designated player Alvaro Saborio to FC Scion when he was about 21.

(All translations by Juan Arango, @JuanG_Arango, of GOL TV)