On January 4th, Argentine newspaper Olé reported Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign River Plate young star Claudio Echeverri.
It was also stated the Citizens will pay €18m plus €9m in bonuses and have agreed to send the 18-year-old back to River Plate on loan until the end of this year. The deal hasn’t been announced yet but there shouldn’t be any concerns for Manchester City.
River Plate sporting director Enzo Francescoli has been speaking to SportsCenter, relayed by ESPN Deportes, where he talked about the midfielder’s impending sale to Manchester City.
Echeverri has now received a call up for the Argentina’s U23 squad for the pre-Olympic tournament and Francescoli has shared his views on this.
The club official was then asked about the player signing for Pep Guardiola’s side, and when responding to that, he said Echeverri deserves this move.
“He’s very calm, I see him the same as last year. Obviously, he must have his internal things. But he deserves it, he’s a great guy,” he said.
“He’s very well, with his feet on the ground beyond what happens to him at 18, which is a lot. I spoke to him a couple of days ago. He’s very good, calm.”
The Argentine’s current deal at River Plate lasts until the end of this year and he’d publicly stated he wouldn’t sign an extension. ESPN Deportes points out this had caused anger among certain sections of the club’s supporters on social media.
Francescoli understands the anger but is pleased the teenager will be at the club for one more year.
“The inevitable ones are these, players like Claudio who surprise, who excite many people. Faraway markets and closer ones like the Brazilian one, which has more economic power than us and has an easier path in the economic part,” Francescoli explained.
“River have the condition of at least having him play for a year. Things have been done well, with the will of the boy, his representative and City, who could have waited six months to take him. You have to take into account a lot of things. Today the market and the Argentine situation, too.
“The sale is very good economically. We know the conditions he has, but he’s only 18. You cannot put a €100m clause on the players like in Europe, who have high salaries. It’s not that easy.”
