Manchester City have reportedly reached an agreement with River Plate to sign 17-year-old Claudio Echeverri for €25m (£21.7m).
The attacking midfielder was a standout performer for Argentina at the Under-17s World Cup last month, contributing with five goals and one assist in six games before losing the third-place playoff to Mali.
Echeverri, who was named the third-best player at the tournament in Indonesia, particularly starred in the quarter-finals when he scored a hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over South American rivals Brazil.
Nicknamed El Diablito (little devil), Echeverri has been likened to Argentine icon Lionel Messi despite having only made six senior appearances for River Plate since and including his debut in June.
Each of Echeverri's first five outings came from the substitutes' bench, before the youngster was handed his first start for River Plate in their 2-0 triumph over Rosario Central in the Trofeo de Campeones final last weekend.
Echeverri's impressive performances for club and country have caught the eye of a number of European teams, most notably Club World Cup champions Man City and last season's La Liga winners Barcelona.
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Man City appear to have moved to the front of the queue for Echeverri's signature, though, as The Guardian reports that they have agreed a €25m (£21.7m) fee with River Plate to sign the youngster in January.
The report adds that the Citizens held productive talks with River Plate last week and have agreed for Echeverri to remain with the Argentine club for another year on loan before linking up with Pep Guardiola's side.
Amid interest in his services, Echeverri is said to have refused to commit his future to River Plate beyond his current contract, which expires in December 2024.
Echeverri is instead expected to sign a long-term contract with Man City and follow in the footsteps of former River Plate forward Julian Alvarez in swapping his native Argentina for the Etihad Stadium.
Man City signed Alvarez in January 2022 in a similar deal to the one agreed for Echeverri, with the World Cup winner remaining with River Plate on loan before joining Guardiola's side the following summer.
Alvarez, 23, has since established himself as an important first-team regular for Man City, scoring twice in the Citizens' 4-0 win over Fluminense in the Club World Cup final last week before netting his 11th goal of the season in Wednesday's 3-1 victory at Everton in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Man City are also reportedly closing in on the signing of 2008-born midfielder Finley Gorman who has confirmed that he is leaving Leeds United after seven years in their academy.
Oliver Thomas
