Manchester City has officially announced the acquisition of young talent Claudio Echeverri.
The 19-year-old midfielder moved from River Plate in January for £12.5 million but stayed on loan in Argentina until recently.
Echeverri, often compared to Lionel Messi, has been presented after arriving in Manchester to integrate with the City team for the remainder of the season.
The attacking midfielder could potentially make his first appearance in the FA Cup fifth round match against Plymouth this Saturday.
Echeverri mentioned that he consulted with former Manchester City players Sergio Aguero and Martin Demichelis before his transfer to England.
He quoted them saying: “They described it as a fantastic club with incredible players and a rich history.”
He added, “I was aware of the strong connection between Argentina and City. Aguero, especially, is a prominent figure.”
He continued, “He is a legend at City for all his accomplishments and for being an exceptional player.”
He concluded, “I used to watch him play, and it’s truly amazing to be here now.”
City’s Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain, commented: “Claudio is among the most promising talents to emerge from South America lately.”
He further stated, “We knew immediately upon seeing him play that we wanted him to join Manchester City.”
He concluded, “He possesses all the natural qualities – his touch, technique, goal-scoring ability, and dribbling skills. Our task now is to nurture these attributes and develop Claudio into a world-class player.”
Echeverri captained Argentina’s U-20 team and scored six goals in the South American Championship, following four goals for River Plate in the previous season.
He is the latest young player to arrive at Etihad after a £182 million investment in January to strengthen Pep Guardiola’s team.
Reports indicate City’s January spending included £60 million for Omar Marmoush, £50 million for Nico Gonzalez, £33 million for Abdukodir Khusanon, and £30 million for Vitor Reis.
