‘Next Lionel Messi’ Claudio Echeverri has named the one club he would sign for amid Chelsea and Man City links

Featured Image Credit: PA

River Plate star Claudio Echeverri has named the one club he wants to sign for as links regarding a move to the Premier League continue to swirl.

The 17-year-old has captured the attention of elite clubs across Europe with his performances for Argentina national youth teams, having registered one assist across his five senior appearances thus far.

According to 90min, Premier League duo Manchester City and Chelsea are both tracking the young attacking midfielder, after monitoring his progress at the recent U17 World Cup in Indonesia. Echeverri scored five goals across his seven appearances, including an impressive hat-trick against Brazil during the tournament.

Paris Saint Germain and Barcelona are also thought to hold an interest in the player but it is the latter that could hold a key advantage in the transfer battle after Echeverri revealed the one club he would like to play for in the future.

Speaking on possible transfers, the young playmaker opened up on who he followed as a boy growing up. He said: “Besides River, I’d mention Barcelona. I’m a big Leo Messi fan and I used to watch him playing for Barça when I was a kid.”

Echeverri with his match ball after his hat-trick against Brazil. (Image Credit: Getty)

Echeverri, who has been likened to Lionel Messi in terms of his playing style, would be another exciting young talent for Xavi to work with at Barcelona, with his squad already containing the likes of Pedri, Gavi, Lamine Yamal and Casado.

According to Argentinian journalist Gustavo Yarroch, the La Liga giants would be willing to part ways with around €25 million (£21 million) to sign the player in the near future but will likely need to move quickly to complete a deal due to the interest from the Premier League.

Despite the player’s admiration for Barcelona, it is believed Manchester City also have a strong chance of completing a deal, due to their strong relationship with River Plate after completing a deal for forward Julian Alvarez back in 2022, according to the Mirror.