Gastón Martirena turned down Santos and Neymar to sign with Nacional

He was about to board the Buquebus ferry when his phone rang. On the other end was Santos sporting director Mattos, asking for a minute of his time. Then, out of nowhere, came the voice of Neymar. That's how surreal Tuesday was for Gastón Martirena, on the very day he sealed his move to Nacional.

The 26 year old Uruguayan fullback finally landed in Montevideo to join the Bolso on loan from Racing through June 2027. It was far from a simple deal, since offers came in from all sides along the way, including CSKA Moscow and Santos itself.

"I'm happy it worked out, they were very tough days because I had chances everywhere, CSKA Moscow and Santos for example, and I ended up at Nacional. I'm really happy about this opportunity," the player said at a press conference just after setting foot in Uruguay.

Martirena, who came through Liverpool's youth ranks, made no attempt to hide his excitement about returning to a club he supports. "It's a huge challenge for me. I'm a fan and at times this opportunity felt very far away, so I'm really thrilled," he added, still holding his suitcase.

A chance to debut in the derby

The obvious question came fast: could he make his debut this Sunday, in nothing less than the derby against Peñarol? The fullback didn't hold back. "If the coach thinks I should play, then obviously I'm ready. I've been training and it'll be the coach's call. Of course I'd love to play on Sunday," he said, leaving the door open for a dream debut.

But what really got people talking was the Neymar story. It all started that same Tuesday, minutes before Martirena was set to travel. "In the morning, I was about to leave on the Buquebus and the Santos sporting director called me and said he wanted to talk to me," the defender recounted on SportsCenter Night, in a conversation with journalist Tomás Dávila.

What happened next was, in his own words, hard to believe. "I picked up and he asked me to wait a minute because someone wanted to talk to me, and then Neymar came on the line and told me they wanted me, that they needed me," Martirena said, still stunned by the situation.

I explained clearly that everything was already set with Nacional and that I couldn't turn back. He understood and gave me a lot of encouragement and wished me the best of luck.Gastón Martirena

The player himself admitted Santos kept pushing even after learning of his decision. "Santos called me again this Tuesday and at times I also spoke with Neymar. It was a pleasure talking to him, I couldn't believe I was actually speaking with him," he said. He closed the chapter with a line that sums up the moment well: he thanked the Brazilian star, but there was no room to change his plans. Nacional was already a done deal, the choice of a fan coming home.