Argentine wonderkid closing in on move to PL giants despite interest from Barcelona - Reports

Premier League giants Manchester City are close to beating Barcelona to complete the transfer of talented teenager Claudio Echeverri from River Plate. The Cityzens are locked in negotiations with River Plate over the transfer of their teenage sensation to the Etihad Stadium.

Argentina U-17 captain Echeverri has caught the eye of fans and experts with his maturity and performance levels for club and country since his emergence. The youngster scored five times for his country at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia earlier this year, including a hat-trick against rivals Brazil.

Multiple sides across Europe have been monitoring the situation of the young playmaker, looking to make a move in the future. The 17-year-old attracted scouts from Chelsea, Manchester City, and Spanish giants Barcelona, majorly, as they sought to sign him.

Echeverri signed his first professional contract with River Plate in 2022, tying him down at the club until December 2024. The teenage sensation revealed after starting for the club in the Trofeo de Campeones that he does not intend to renew his contract beyond 2024.

Manchester City have moved quickly to try and sign the youngster, who has a €25 million release clause in his contract. The Cityzens are now in pole position to sign Echeverri, as per the latest report from Fabrizio Romano.

Romano revealed that Pep Guardiola's side are now close to reaching an agreement with the Argentine champions for a fee in excess of €20 million. Like they did with Julian Alvarez in 2022, they intend to allow Echeverri to remain on loan at the club for another 6-12 months.

Barcelona can try to scupper the deal by making a late entry, but the youngster looks destined to move to the recently-crowned world champions. The financial status of the club does not put them in the best position to make deals like this.

Barcelona set for quiet January window

Barcelona are not expected to undergo any major changes in the January transfer window due to the club's financial status. They have already signed Vitor Roque from Atletico Paranaense, and he will join the squad as backup to Robert Lewandowski.

La Blaugrana are struggling with the absence of Gavi, who picked up a season-ending knee injury on international duty with Spain, in midfield. They intend to be creative and find a short-term solution without spending too much.

Barcelona will likely end up adding one of two new faces to their squad in the January transfer window, but there will be no major movement. They need to find solutions within the club to their recent slump if they hope to win any titles this season.