Man City snap up Argentine wonderkid Claudio Echeverri – dubbed the ‘next Lionel Messi’ – in £12.5m transfer

MANCHESTER CITY have completed the signing of Argentine teenager Claudio Echeverri.

The 18-year-old has signed from River Plate on a deal until 2028 for a fee of around £12.5million plus add-ons.

Instagram / @mancityManchester City have signed Claudio Echeverri from River Plate for around £12.5million[/caption]

GettyThe teenager will remain on loan at River until the end of the calendar year[/caption]

Echeverri will head back to his old club on loan until the end of the calendar year.

A former captain of Argentina’s under-17 side, Echeverri is currently on international duty with under-23s in South American Olympic qualifying.

He has made six appearances for River, registering one assist for his boyhood club.

Chelsea and Barcelona were previously linked with a move for the teen, who has been dubbed “the next Lionel Messi”.

Echeverri caught the eye at last year’s under-17 World Cup in Indonesia, scoring five goals as Argentina reached the semi-finals.

The youngster is not the first player to swap River for the Etihad Stadium, with compatriot Julian Alvarez doing the same two years ago.

Alvarez also remained in Argentina after the deal was finalised before joining up with Pep Guardiola’s squad.

He has since scored 30 goals and added 15 assists in 79 appearances for City.

GettyThe 18-year-old has been dubbed ‘the next Lionel Messi’[/caption]

The 23-year-old’s five major trophies in England include last season’s treble triumph.

However, Echeverri has previously revealed he dreams of playing for Barcelona.

Before the 2022 World Cup, he told reporters: “As well as River, I would like to play for Barca.

“I’m a big fan of Messi and I used to watch him play for Barcelona, so I’ve had this team inside me since I was very young.”

TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest transfer deals from around the world this January