Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing River Plate midfielder Claudio Echeverri, who has been dubbed the next Lionel Messi.
Manchester City are reportedly tracking River Plate’s Claudio Echeverri, who has been dubbed the next Lionel Messi. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder impressed at the Under-17 World Cup, scoring five goals and attracting the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs.
Echeverry has only made four substitute appearances for River Plate, but he is already regarded as one of Argentina’s most promising young talents. City hope their good relationship with River Plate, which they established when they signed Julian Alvarez, will give them an edge in the race to sign Echeverri.
Alvarez joined Manchester City from River Plate in 2021 and has become a key player in Pep Guardiola’s side, scoring 25 goals in 69 games in all competitions. His performances at the 2022 World Cup will only make things easier. Guardiola has been impressed with Alvarez’s progress, describing the striker as “almost irreplaceable”.
According to the Mirror, Manchester City are confident of signing Echeverry and are prepared to pay his £21.44 million buyout clause. However, River Plate are now trying to renegotiate the deal in a bid to double the value of the clause. The Argentinian club are aware of Echeverri’s potential and they are determined to get the best price for him.
Manchester City are not the only club interested in Echeverri, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and two clubs from Milan also tracking the player. The race for Echeverri’s signature is likely to intensify in the coming months and City will need to be at their best if they are to sign the highly-rated youngster.