Man City Sign ‘Next Rated Messi’ Echeverri From River Plate 

Claudio Echeverri, an Argentine striker, has officially joined Manchester City for a reported £12.5 million ($15.9 million) from River Plate.

Echeverri, who has been dubbed “Argentina’s Lionel Messi,” inked a deal with the triple winners that runs through 2028. He will stay with River Plate, however, till the end of 2024.

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One of the breakout performers of the 2023 under-17 World Cup in Peru was Echeverri. He made seven games and scored five goals, including a spectacular hat-trick against Brazil in the last eight, as Argentina had an exciting run to the semi-finals.

Working under former City coach Martin Demichelis, Echeverri made his River Plate first-team debut in June 2023 and recorded an assist in a 3-1 victory over Instituto Cordoba. Turning eighteen at the beginning of the month, the forward has played in six games for River’s first team and 23 for Argentina’s under-17 squad, which he captained during the World Cup. In order to practise alongside Messi, he has also trained with Argentina’s senior squad.

Echeverri became a viral sensation when he was just 11 years old after starring at the Champions Trophy youth tournament in Venice, scoring nine goals in seven games

The 18-year-old, like Julian Alvarez did when he signed with City from Millonarios in January 2022, will play the remainder of the season with River Plate. He is anticipated to sign with Pep Guardiola’s team in January 2025, joining an elite offensive group that includes Kevin De Bruyne, Alvarez, and Erling Haaland.