Today (January 26), The Sun Sports (UK) reports that Manchester City has finalized the signing of Argentine wonderkid Claudio Echeverri. Pep Guardiola’s team spent a modest £12.5 million, along with additional fees paid to River Plate, to secure the contract with the 18-year-old, nicknamed “Second Messi,” until 2028.

Now, Man City can proudly claim to have a star with huge potential in Claudio Echeverri, who previously expressed a dream of playing for… Barcelona. However, Man City will allow River Plate to continue using “Second Messi” Claudio Echeverri on loan until the end of this year.

Man City officially announced: “Man City is delighted to announce that we have completed the signing of Claudio Echeverri from River Plate. Claudio Echeverri has signed a contract until June 2028 with Man City but will remain to play for River Plate, before joining the Etihad Stadium in January next year.”Formerly the captain of the Argentina U-17 team in the recent U-17 World Cup semi-finals, Echeverri is currently on international duty with the Argentina U-23 team in the South American Olympic qualifiers.

The “Second Messi” Claudio Echeverri has made six appearances for River Plate and has one assist.Chelsea and Barcelona were previously rumored to be interested in signing the teenage player Claudio Echeverri. Echeverri attracted attention at last year’s U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, wearing the number 10 jersey like Lionel Messi, he scored 5 goals helping Argentina’s U-17 team reach the semi-finals.

Young star Claudio Echeverri is not the first player from River Plate to join Man City. His Argentine compatriot Julian Alvarez did the same two years ago. Alvarez also stayed in Argentina to play for a while on loan after Man City completed his transfer.Now, at Man City, Julian Alvarez has scored 30 goals and added 15 assists after 79 appearances. The 23-year-old Julian Alvarez has won 5 major titles with Man City, including a historic treble of the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup, as well as the UEFA Super Cup. He is also a World Cup champion with the Argentina national team.

Meanwhile, Claudio Echeverri had previously revealed that he dreamed of playing for Barcelona. Before the 2022 World Cup, the “Second Messi” told reporters: “Just like River Plate, I want to play for Barcelona. I am a big fan of Lionel Messi and I have watched him play for Barcelona. So, I have had this team in my heart since I was very young.”