ISL Transfer News: Odisha FC sign Spanish striker Pedro Martin

Continuing their purchasing spree in the transfer market, Odisha FC (OFC) have acquired the services of Spanish center-forward Pedro Martin, the club announced on Friday.

The 30-year-old has played in multiple leagues across Spain, including La Liga, La Liga 2, and Segunda Division B. Pedro has made three appearances in the Europa League for Atletico Madrid.

The Malaga-born ace started playing for hometown club Malaga CF before joining Los Rojiblancos in 2008 at the age of 16. He was promoted to their C team in the Tercera División after spending two years at the youth level. After a successful first season, he was called up by first-team manager Gregorio Manzano for the 2011–12 pre-season, where he scored six goals.

On December 8, 2011, Martin made his first appearance for the Colchoneros as a substitute in the second half of a 2-1 loss against Albacete Balompié in the Copa del Rey.

Even with Diego Simeone taking charge at Atletico Madrid, Martín continued to make multiple appearances and score with the reserves side. His first appearance in La Liga was in April 2012, when he came on for Tiago in the last minute of a 2-2 away draw with Real Betis.

After an extended spell in the capital city, Pedro signed with CD Mirandés in the Segunda Division. More recently, the Spanish forward made a move to Gimnàstic in 2019. He was loaned out to Atlético Sanluqueño CF on a short spell in 2022.

The lanky 6'2'' striker could be a formidable presence in the box for the Juggernauts. However, it remains to be seen if he will play second fiddle to Diego Mauricio or get a run as the first-choice option. Head coach Josep Gombau could also opt to play the pair together.

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Odisha FC are moving smartly and quickly in the transfer market

In the span of a few weeks, the Juggernauts have assembled a formidable squad to contest the 2022-23 Indian Super League season. They have already signed the likes of Diego Mauricio, Osama Malik, Saul Crespo, and Carlos Delgado. The Kalinga Warriors have also acquired Pedro Martin and are now close to stacking up the foreign spots.

OFC have also made considerable improvements to their domestic contingent as they signed Narender Gahlot, Michael Soosairaj, and Nikhil Prabhu.

The Juggernauts showed an improvement in the previous edition of the tournament. They finished seventh with 23 points, stunning sides like Bengaluru FC, Mumbai City FC and NorthEast United FC. However, the lack of squad depth and stability continued to show. The recent signings clearly show an intention from Odisha FC to fill those gaps.