Man City paid $20 million for the 'new Messi' but will loan him to these two clubs

During the last months many clubs in Europe showed their interest in Claudio Echeverri. The River Plate forward made his professional debut in 2023 at only 17 years of age in the Argentine league and showed great performances with the U-17 national team during the South American tournament and then at the World Cup in Indonesia.

Above all, the three goals he scored against Brazil in the quarterfinals made him a target of several European giants, who see in him the 'new Messi'. The comparison with the Inter Miami forward is inevitable, as both are Argentinian, play in the same sector of the field, usually wear the number 10 jersey and are very talented, with dribbles, goals and assists that amaze fans.

Despite the interest of Barcelona and Chelsea, the ones who got Echeverri were Manchester City. They agreed to pay almost $20 million to River Plate for him, plus an extra $10 million if certain goals are met. But the surprising thing is that he won't be playing in England for a long time.

When negotiations began, it was known that River would only agree to sell him if they were promised that Claudio could continue playing for the Argentine club until the end of the 2024 season. What no one expected was that the Citizens would then plan to sell him to another club. According to Olé newspaper, from January 2025 Echeverri will travel to Europe, but not to join Manchester City, but Girona. The Spanish team is part of the City Group and could enjoy the forward's talent until June 2026.

Pep's plan

Josep Guardiola, Manchester City's coach, and the club's chiefs know that Claudio Echeverri is one of the most talented young players in the world, but they do not want to rush him. That is why they want him to have one more year of experience in Argentina and then a year and a half in Girona to get used to the pace of European soccer. He would arrive in England in the summer of 2026, at the age of 20.