Rumors appeared that linked the America striker with Atlas, but those have since been shot down.
Henry Martin is 26 years old, with appearances for the Mexican National Team, and 12 goals since 2014 in Liga MX with Club Tijuana and Club America. He’s shown flashes of being the striker that Las Aguilas and El Tri have been looking for, followed by long stretches of silence. Now, with America coming off their 13th title, largely without much influence from Martin, rumors surfaced he could be sent on loan to Atlas for the Clausura 2019.
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From here, it would seem to be a great move for every club involved. Atlas would be getting a striker with potential and still a few years of his prime left. Los Zorros scored just 11 goals in the Apertura and could use another option. Jefferson Duque led Atlas with 5 goals in 14 matches, but is 31 years old and shouldn’t be relied on to produce offense. Martin would represent another – theoretically better – striker for an Atlas club that should be much better in the Clausura 2019 than they were in the Apertura 2018.
For Martin and, by extension, America, it would represent opportunity. Henry Martin wouldn’t be the third (fourth?) option at striker at Atlas as he is with America. Roger Martinez started to come along in La Liguilla and, if healthy, is the top striker currently on the roster. Oribe Peralta has been the next guy up, though he’s seen more time in a CAM-type role, and America has expressed the desire to find another striker option from outside of Mexico, pushing Martin further down the depth chart. Atlas would provide him playing time to get himself in a groove or show that he simply isn’t good enough for Las Aguilas.
A loan would make a ton of sense, but the rumor of the move has been denied. That’s a shame. If the rumors are true, and Atlas also asked for Oribe Peralta, the denial makes a bit more sense. However, maybe the move re-opens once America finds that striker they’ve been looking for. We’ll have to see, but for all parties involved, I hope it happens.