One of the best young players in the world, Claudio Echeverri knows exactly where he wants to continue his footballing education.
The next big thing to come out of Argentina, the 17-year-old River Plate ace recently scored all three goals against Brazil in the U17 World Cup.
It’s obvious why he’s so coveted by Europe’s best teams, one of whom he’s been happy to suggest he would like to play for.
“Claudio Echeverri is a brilliant young Argentinian who recently scored a hat-trick against Brazil’s U17, and he’s always mentioned his passion for Barcelona in public,” Fabrizio Romano said in his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside.
“Unfortunately, despite a relatively low release clause, Barça can’t make the deal happen now due to Financial Fair Play so it’s not possible to proceed.”
Given time, that scenario could change, particularly if the Catalan giants sell one or two players to make room in their salary structure for a player that wants to follow in his idol, Lionel Messi’s footsteps.
However, time is the one commodity that Barcelona don’t have.
That’s because two Premier League giants are circling, with one already believed to be in talks with Echeverri’s representatives.
“Both Manchester City and Chelsea have much better chances to sign the player at this stage, and both Premier League clubs remain keen on making that happen,” Romano added.
Given that Man City already have Julian Alvarez in situ to be able to help Echeverri settle in, as well as being the current Premier League, Champions League and World Club Cup champions, there are plenty of reasons why the teen would consider the Etihad Stadium as the next best destination if Barcelona can’t make a deal work.
With Joan Laporta and Xavi desperately trying to get Barca back on their feet on and off the pitch, losing out on such a top talent would be another bitter blow to their attempts.