Man City set to sign the ‘next Lionel Messi’! Premier League champions strike £20m Claudio Echeverri deal to beat Real Madrid, Barcelona & PSG in transfer race for Argentine wonderkid

Consequently, what happened?

Gaston Edul reports that the 17-year-old attacker, who is being compared to football superstar Lionel Messi, is being pursued by the Premier League champions, who have jumped ahead of other best teams in Europe.

The forward was a shining star on the international scene, especially during the last FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he defeated Brazil in the quarterfinals and demonstrated his abilities with a stunning hat-trick. Even though Argentina placed fourth in the competition, Echeverri’s attacking skill set him apart.

THE LARGER IMAGE

As transfer fees for the prospective future superstar, City and River Plate have reached an agreement for £20 million ($25 million). According to the terms of the deal, Echeverri will stay at River Plate through at least the summer, with the option to stay until the end of 2024 in order to get important first-team experience.

WERE YOU AWARENESS?

Apart from Echeverri, reports suggest that City is also monitoring Agustin Ruberto and Ian Subiabre, two additional River Plate potential. Numerous teams have expressed interest in both youngsters, who also performed brilliantly in the U-17 World Cup, including Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, and Barcelona.

Next What?

Since the arrival of Julian Alvarez in 2022—a move that proved to be vital in acquiring the player—City takes great pride in their excellent relationship with River Plate. Considering that Echeverri acknowledged that he looked up to Messi and aspired to follow in his footsteps by joining Barcelona in the future, they did a great job acquiring him.