Man City beat Chelsea to signature of £12.5m 'next Lionel Messi'
Manchester City have completed the signing of 18-year-old midfielder Claudio Echeverri from River Plate. After dazzling at the Under-17 World Cup, Echeverri was among several young stars attracting interest from Europe, with 90min reporting that Chelsea and City were prepared to battle for the midfielder's signature . City ultimately moved ahead, partly due to their relationship with the Argentinian side following the signing of striker Julian Alvarez, and have now confirmed the teenager's move to the Etihad Stadium. As part of the deal, which is understood to have cost City an initial £12.5m, Echeverri will remain with River until January 2025, at which point he will formally make the switch to Manchester. Compared to fellow Argentine Lionel Messi, Echeverri dazzled for his country late last year, finishing as the Under-17 World Cup's third-highest scorer. WILL THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW DELIVER? WATCH THE LATEST EPISODE OF THE 90MIN FOOTBALL SHOW ON YOUTUBE Having enter...