Martinez ready for Portsmouth move

Paraguayan defender Angel Martinez is set to join Barclays Premiership club Portsmouth in June, according to the president of his current team.

Martinez is contracted to Tacuary in Paraguay but president Francisco Ocampo insists the 21-year-old defender is close to agreeing a deal with the Fratton Park outfit.

“He (Martinez) will continue his career with Portsmouth,” said Ocampo. “On Wednesday he will sign the contract with the English team.”

Martinez started his career with Olimpia in his homeland, before moving to Argentina to join Racing Club.

He has since returned to Paraguay to play for both Nacional and Tacuary, and won a silver medal with his country at the 2004 Olympic Games.

“I will give my best,” said Martinez. “As I know, it is very competitive football (in England).”

If he completes his move to Portsmouth, Martinez will become only the second Paraguayan player to appear in the Premiership, after Diego Gavilan’s unsuccessful four-year spell at Newcastle came to an end last summer.