Who is Claudio Echeverri? Argentina u-17 forward linked to Real Madrid, Manchester City & PSG

Top clubs around Europe have been linked with young attacking midfielder, Claudio Echeverri, after fantastic performances in the u-17 World Cup for Argentina. The River Plate player caused havoc against Brazil as the albiceleste won 3-0 thanks to a hat-trick from Echeverri, and now it is said that teams such as Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester City interested in acquiring his services.

Echeverri, born in 2006, is the captain of the Argentina u-17 side and plays in a playmaker role behind the forward. Known as ‘El Diablito’ (The Little Devil), comparisons to a certain Argentine attacker have already begun. He is already on a professional contract with River Plate, and is a regular member of the first team (although not quite yet a guaranteed starter for the Buenos Aires club).

Which clubs want to sign Echeverri?

Three clubs have so far been sounded out as interested parties if a bidding war were to begin: Real Madrid, Manchester City and PSG. However, the player himself made his intentions of playing in Europe clear ahead of the u-17 tournament, admitting in an interview that “as well as River, I’d like to play for Barça”. This may put a spanner in the works of any potential deal for the club from the Spanish capital, but when his reason why was revealed, things certainly made sense: “I’m a big fan of Messi”, he said, “I watched him play for Barcelona, which is why I’ve been a fan since I was little”.

The right-footed attacker is known for his close control, dribbling, vision, movement and ability to find the back of the net in plenty of extraordinary manners, with his highlights reel at just 17-years-old already causing jaws to drop to the floor.

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How much would Echeverri cost?

The u-17 World Cup is proving to be a landmark moment for the talent, with Echeverri already top scorer along with Ruberto, his teammate. Ahead of the event, potential fees to sign the youngster ranged around the €20 million ($22m) mark, although now that number appears to have shot upwards.

However, it seems that the true price to sign the player is somewhere between €25-30 million ($27-33m), with reports from Argentina suggesting that there is a release clause that bumps up to €30 million at the end of the next transfer window.