Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Claudio Echeverri from River Plate, who will retain the midfielder's services until January 2025.
The Premier League and Champions League holders have agreed a four-and-a-half-year deal with the 18-year-old until the end of the 2027-28 season and are understood to have paid an initial £12.5m for his services.
The fee could rise to as much as £21.7m with performance-related add-ons, and Echeverri has become the Citizens' first signing of the January transfer window, although he will spend the upcoming campaign back in his native Argentina.
Echeverri has only made fleeting appearances for the River Plate first team so far, playing six times in the 2023 season - where his side won the Liga Profesional title Argentinian Cup - and registering one assist.
However, the teenager has excelled in an Argentina jersey and rose to prominence during last year's Under-17 South American Championships, where he amassed five goals and three assists in eight appearances.
Alongside Kaua Elias and Rayan, Echeverri topped the scoring charts at the conclusion of the tournament as Argentina finished third behind Brazil and Ecuador, and he donned the captain's armband for the Under-17 World Cup later that year.
We are pleased to announce we have completed the signing of Claudio Echeverri from River Plate ✍️
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 25, 2024
Claudio has signed a contract until June 2028 but will remain at River before moving to the Etihad Stadium in January next year.
More info ⤵️
During November and December's global tournament, the playmaker netted another five goals for Argentina, who lost on penalties to Germany in the semi-finals before being beaten by Mali in the third-placed playoff.
Nevertheless, Echeverri's five-goal haul saw him take home the Bronze Boot, behind Mali's Ibrahim Diarra - who registered three more assists than the Argentinian - and Golden Boot winner Agustin Ruberto.
In total, Echeverri has amassed 13 goals and five assists in 23 appearances for Argentina's Under-17s, and he earned his first call-up to his nation's Under-23 side for this month's CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament.
On Monday, Echeverri made his debut for Argentina's Under-23s, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw with Paraguay before he was an unused substitute in a 2-0 victory over Peru on Wednesday.
The teenager's contract with River Plate is due to expire in December 2024, and he announced last month that he would not be signing an extension with the Argentinian champions as Man City closed in on his signature.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea were also said to have been interested in Echeverri, but River Plate sporting director Enzo Francescoli confirmed in December that the playmaker was Manchester-bound.
Ben Knapton
