Manchester City have announced the signing of Claudio Echeverri from River Plate.
According to ESPN, the Citizens have paid around £12.5 million to secure the youngster’s signature.
The talented midfielder has signed a long-term contact with City that is set to keep him at the Etihad Stadium until June 2028. But he will stay at the Argentine outfit on loan until next January.
Echeverri is one of the best talents to have emerged from Argentina.
The 18-year-old has seen great progress in the last few years, attracting attention from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
He forced the world to take notice of his talent after shining for Argentina at the under 17 World Cup last year.
Echeverri netted five goals at the tournament, including a hat-trick against Brazil in the quarter-final.
He played a key role in helping his country reach the semi-finals where they lost to eventual winners Germany.
Echeverri started his football career at Club Lujan before landing a move to River Plate in 2017.
The 18-year-old progressed through the youth ranks to earn his senior debut in June last year.
He impressed in his first game, assisting a goal in their 3-1 victory over Instituto.
The midfielder has since made five more appearances for the Primera Division side.
Making a move to Manchester City is now a huge step-up for Echeverri. However, he will have to be very patient for his opportunities at the club.
The Argentine may have to prove his skills during loan spells before he is ready to play in Pep Guardiola’s first-team.
In other news, Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips is also close to joining West Ham United on loan after struggling for minutes at the Etihad.
