Northern Spain's Basque region is known for its food and its football clubs. The area is a hotbed for both, not least because of the teams' Basque-first policy in many cases.
While Real Sociedad are not as strict as neighbours Athletic Club when it comes to outsiders, they do produce their fair share of homegrown stars, for the first-team and national team.
Jon Martín is the latest in a succession of young Basque players to break into the senior setup at Anoeta, having cut his teeth at the club's world-renowned Zubieta academy.
Real Sociedad's Jon Martin is one of LaLiga's most dominant players in the air
The teenage central defender is an aerial colossus, first and foremost. In the same way San Sebastian's weather is often compare to its British cousin, Martín's style of play is more akin to that of an old-school, 'proper British' centre-half. Think last-minute tackles, duelling in the air, no-nonsense clearances, blocking shots and leaving one in on the man he's been tasked with marking.
La Real have not begun the 2025/26 season very well; they changed manager and sporting director recently and this is a club in the past that hasn't exactly thrived in a state of flux.
FourFourTwo's long-running 'The Boy's A Bit Special' feature has been going since the magazine's first issue, highlighting the best young players in the United Kingdom and abroad.
As of September 2025, we've given it a revamp. Our youth football expert Joe Donnohue will be profiling four teenagers each month, explaining why they're, well, a bit special.
Martín is not a favourite of new coach Sergio Francisco but his emergence last term and the more recent extension of his contract, which now runs 'til 2031, suggests the 19-year-old has a longer shelf life in Donostia.
The Basque lighthouse is a threat in the opposition penalty area, too, and has demonstrated as much in youth international tournaments for Spain.
Even at 6ft 1in, which is by no means the tallest for a top-five European league central defender, Martín's aerial prowess is his standout attribute and something he's likely to improve upon as he develops further, both tactically and physically.
Spain's pool of up-and-coming centre-backs is rich with promising talent, considering Pau Cubarsi and Dean Huijsen are playing regularly for LaLiga's big two Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.
But, do not be fooled by Martín's current lack of game-time - he deserves to be spoken about in the same breath and clubs know it.
Did You Know: Arsenal are among the English clubs already credited with an interest in the 19-year-old defender as part of the Gunners' long-term succession planning at centre-back.
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