Antonio Martínez has completed a move to Italian side Athl Palermo from free agency, joining the Serie D – Girone I club on a contract running from 10 December 2025 to 30 June 2026. The 19-year-old goalkeeper had been without a club since leaving Real Murcia’s youth set-up earlier in 2025.
The deal sees Martínez registered with Athl Palermo after a spell unattached, with no transfer fee involved due to his status as a free agent. The move marks the Spaniard’s first step into senior Italian football and could offer him a pathway into a competitive Serie D – I environment after developing entirely in Spain’s youth system.
Martínez arrives at Athl Palermo listed as a goalkeeper and is eligible to represent both Spain and Algeria, reflecting his dual nationality. Born in Murcia, he progressed through Villarreal’s youth ranks, moving from FC Villarreal Youth to Villarreal CF U19 in 2023. A year later he switched to Real Murcia U19, before departing the club in mid-2025 and entering a period without a team.
From Real Murcia U19 he moved into the “Without Club” category in the summer of 2025, where he remained until Athl Palermo secured his signature in December. With no recorded market value or fee attached to the transfer in the data provided, it is a low-risk acquisition for the Italian side, who add depth to their goalkeeping department ahead of the second half of the 2025–26 campaign.
The switch also represents a significant change of setting for Martínez. Up to this point, his career has been spent in Spanish youth football, featuring for Villarreal’s and Real Murcia’s under-19 teams, both competing in domestic youth competitions within Spain. At Athl Palermo, he will be operating in the Italian lower leagues, with the club participating in Serie D – Girone I, the top tier of non-professional football in Italy.
There is no match data, appearance record, or statistical breakdown for Martínez’s performances in the current season in the information provided, and his recent period without a club means he has not had competitive fixtures listed at senior level. Likewise, there are no details of individual games, scorelines or specific contributions from his time with Villarreal CF U19 or Real Murcia U19 in the dataset.
However, the trajectory of his moves is clear. After rising through Villarreal’s youth system, a step to Real Murcia U19 offered him another development platform in Spanish football before his contract there ended and he became a free agent. Athl Palermo have now moved to bring him into their squad, confirming the transfer and registering him in Italy.
With a short-term contract in place and his first opportunity in Italian football secured, Martínez now has the chance to convert his youth experience in Spain into minutes in Serie D – I. If he can establish himself at Athl Palermo, this confirmed move could serve as the foundation for a longer-term professional career in European football.
