Santos Laguna missed out on signing right-back Gastón Martirena, who rejected an offer after receiving a personal phone call from Neymar. The Argentine player, as reported by outlet Ole, had already agreed to join Nacional de Montevideo and declined the Mexican club's proposal. This setback comes as the team endures a terrible run in Liga MX, sitting 17th with zero points after five consecutive losses, the most recent a 3-2 defeat to Puebla on August 23.
The current situation for Santos Laguna is critical, with only four goals scored and eleven conceded so far this season. The team trails league leaders Club America by 13 points and urgently needs a change in direction. Their next challenge is a home match against 15th-placed Tigres UANL on August 30. Fans can track the team's progress on our standings page.
What happened with Neymar's offer?
Neymar, on behalf of Santos Laguna, phoned Gastón Martirena to try to convince him to join the club. The defender, who was about to travel to Uruguay to join Nacional, was surprised but held firm to his decision. "En la pregunta le decía que no lo podía creer" (In the question I told him I couldn't believe it), Martirena said about the call. Besides the Brazilian star, Santos directors also contacted the player. "Le agradecí porque yo ya tenía todo hablado con Nacional. Ya estaba por viajar para acá" (I thanked him because I already had everything agreed with Nacional. I was about to travel here), explained the full-back, who is a fan of the Uruguayan club.
This wasn't Santos's first approach for Martirena during the transfer window. Earlier, his potential arrival was part of a broader negotiation that included the loan of Adonis Frías. However, Frías ultimately chose to sign for Atlas of Mexico, scuppering that potential exchange.
Why did Martirena choose Nacional?
The deal that took Gastón Martirena to Nacional de Montevideo is a loan until mid-2027, costing the Uruguayan club 300,000 dollars. The agreement includes a purchase option of 4.5 million dollars for 100% of the player's rights. Racing Club, which owns 70% of his transfer rights, and Liverpool of Uruguay, owner of the remaining 30%, approved this move. The player was expected to debut in the derby against Peñarol the Sunday after the report.
Nacional had tried to sign Martirena for weeks, but Racing was initially reluctant to a loan, demanding a permanent sale. Finally, the Argentine club relented and accepted the loan-with-option formula. Other offers, like one from CSKA Moscow valued at 3 million dollars plus player Ramiro de Luciano, were rejected by Racing's leadership, which was asking for 4.2 million. The Russian club did not follow up.
What is Martirena's background?
Gastón Martirena arrived at Racing in 2023, signed by then-manager Fernando Gago. The club paid 2.6 million dollars to Liverpool of Uruguay for 70% of his rights. Wearing the Racing shirt, the full-back played 109 total games, scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists. His achievements include the 2025 Recopa Sudamericana and participation in the Copa Sudamericana. However, in his final period at the club, he lost his starting role under managers Gustavo Costas and Juan Pablo Vojvoda, frequently relegated to the bench.
What does this mean for Santos Laguna?
Failing to secure Martirena represents a missed opportunity to strengthen a defense that has been very fragile this season. Conceding eleven goals in five matchdays, the team urgently needs solidity at right-back. The coaching staff must now look for alternatives in the market or within the current squad, whose individual data can be checked in our stats section. The immediate focus, however, is on stopping the bleeding of negative results. The streak of five consecutive losses (LLLLL) is the main problem to solve before the match against Tigres, a key game to try to escape the bottom of the table.
