Seventeen-year-old River Plate starlet Claudio Echeverri has reportedly given the green light to a six-year deal with Manchester City.
The Premier League, European and world champions are understood to have shaken hands with their Argentinian counterparts on a £21.7m deal for Echeverri, who was also on Chelsea and Real Madrid's radar.
Echeverri - who will celebrate his 18th birthday on Tuesday - will remain in his homeland before linking up with Man City in December 2024, and according to Fabrizio Romano, the two clubs are exchanging the paperwork at present.
The journalist adds that Echeverri has agreed a six-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, which will keep him on the books with Pep Guardiola's side until 2030.
The 2006-born playmaker has only earned six appearances for the River Plate first team so far, setting up one goal and winning the 2023 Argentine Primera Division and Trofeo de Campeones.
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While Echeverri is yet to make an impact in the River Plate first team, he caught the eye of multiple clubs across Europe with a string of exceptional displays for Argentina's Under-17s in the South American Championship and World Cup.
During April's continental tournament, Echeverri came up with five goals and three assists in eight games, wearing the captain's armband in six of them as Argentina finished in third place.
Echeverri finished the 2023 Under-17 South American Championship as the tournament's highest goalscorer, and he retained the captaincy for the Under-17 World Cup taking place in November and December.
The soon-to-be Man City attacker scored another five goals in the World Cup, as well as providing two assists, but Argentina were eliminated on penalties in the semi-finals by Germany before also being beaten by Mali in their third-placed playoff.
Nevertheless, Echeverri took home the Bronze Boot, finishing level in the scoring charts with Mali's Ibrahim Diarra and three behind Golden Boot winner and teammate Agustin Ruberto.
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The 17-year-old will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of Julian Alvarez at the Etihad, another erstwhile River Plate product who has made a name for himself in the Premier League under Guardiola.
Alvarez shone during the first half of the 2023-24 season with 12 goals and nine assists from 28 matches, prior to which he achieved World Cup stardom with Argentina in Qatar.
In the absence of Erling Haaland, who is currently sidelined with a foot injury, Alvarez has scored in back-to-back Premier League games against Everton and Sheffield United while operating at the tip of the attack.
A 2-0 win over the Blades on Saturday saw Man City rise to third in the Premier League table, and Guardiola's side now prepare to begin the defence of their FA Cup crown against Huddersfield Town in Sunday's third-round clash.
Ben Knapton
