Could Manchester City make a move for River Plate teenager Claudio Echeverri? The young Argentinean attacking midfielder has been linked with a move to Manchester City after starring for Argentina at the Under-17 FIFA World Cup. He scored five goals at the tournament as Argentina went out on penalties to Germany in the semi-final. His hat trick against Argentina’s arch-rivals Brazil was one of the stand-out performances at the tournament.
Claudio Echeverri – U17 World Cup 2023 pic.twitter.com/KDZ59PRIXo
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Simon Mullock of the Mirror reports that the European champions are leading the race to sign the youngster. Mullock adds that City would face competition from PSG, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC and Inter Milan for the River Plate sensation. Furthermore, Simon Mullock adds that there is a release clause valued at £21.44 million in Echeverri’s contract. He adds that the release clause increases to £25.73 million within 10 days of any transfer window closing.
Mullock also reports that Manchester City believe their relationship with River Plate may give them the edge in any negotiations for Claudio Echeverri. The treble winners signed Julian Alvarez from the Argentinian giants in January 2022. Alvarez was allowed to stay at River Plate for six months on loan before joining City in June 2022.
Claudio Echeverri is one of the top young talents coming out of Argentina. He is an attacking midfielder with an eye for goal. His close control, dribbling, movement, vision and finishing have seen him compared to 8-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi. He starred for Argentina at the Under-17 FIFA World Cup which has put him on the radar of a host of top clubs in Europe.
Manchester City making a move for the youngster could be a story to watch for in the January transfer window.