Barcelona look set to miss out on Claudio Echeverri, one of the most sought-after teenagers in world football, and it may be to Girona’s benefit.
Manchester City are closing in on the signature of the 17-year-old forward, with the fee believed to be in the region of €20-25m. Barcelona were in the running for Echeverri, and Real Madrid were also linked to him.
Argentine outlet Ole report that the deal with City will be completed soon, as carried by MD, and he is set to remain in Buenos Aires for the coming year until his contract ends. They plan to put him on a plan to continue his development, and bulk up physically. Echeverri has still only played 135 minutes of football for River. They go on to say that the plan is for Echeverri to head to Girona on loan after River, who are part of the City Football Group.
Currently Girona have Yan Couto on loan from City, while Savio Moreira is on loan from Troyes, who are also part of the same group. Generally Girona have received young players that are not on track for first team football at the Etihad, but their success this season could herald a new phase for the Catalan side. If they were to receive Echeverri on loan, they would have one of the most promising talents in football at Montilivi.
