Philadelphia Union announced today that they have reached a transfer agreement with Brazilian elite club Corinthians for midfielder Jose Martinez.

“Jose has played an important role in the club’s success in his five seasons at Union,” said Ernst Tanner, Union’s sporting director. “He has steadily developed at Union, becoming incredibly dominant in midfield and a key factor in the milestones the team has achieved. We value his commitment and passion for the team and the city both on and off the pitch and wish him all the best for this next chapter.”

Martinez has made 108 league appearances for the Union (100 starts). He made his debut for the club on March 8, 2020 in a match against LAFC and scored his first goal for the club on June 21, 2023 in the 90th minute at Orlando City SC. The goal earned him fourth place in the SportsCenter Top 10. Martinez became the 11th player in club history to represent the Union when he was selected for the 2023 MLS All Star Game in Washington DC, where he started against Arsenal. Since joining the Union, Martinez has also become a mainstay for the Venezuelan national team, earning 32 caps.

The Union originally signed Martinez from Venezuelan club Zulia FC, where he scored two goals and provided four assists in 66 appearances and participated in the 2019 Copa Sudamericana, where he helped Zulia reach the quarter-finals.

Martinez will join Corinthians, who are in the middle of their Serie A season and are in 17th place.^th in the table. Corinthians is one of the most successful football clubs in Brazil and has won 30 national championships, seven Brasileirão and three Copa de Brasil trophies, as well as two FIFA Club World Championships, the Copa Libertadores and the Recopa Sudamericana.