Players interested in playing for FC Barcelona one day are no selective group. Many of the brightest upcoming talents, and even established superstars, dream of one day donning the Barcelona colors. However, very few of these players manage to catch the eyes of La Blaugrana.
One player who undeniably did was young Lionel Messi back in 2004. That was when the Argentine superstar would make his competitive debut for FC Barcelona. Yet, given the legacy he has since gone on to create with Barça, it is no surprise that many hopes rest on a new iteration of the player emerging at some point.
As often as it is claimed, it seems that a ‘New Messi’ has once again emerged from Argentina. However, as highlighted by SPORT, he has done something exceptionally special to earn that moniker beyond just the similarities in his playing style with the legendary 8-time Ballon d’Or winner.
In the recent Under-17 Fifa World Cup quarter-finals, Claudio Echeverri managed to outclass Brazil in spectacular fashion. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder ended up scoring a hattrick at the world stage and helped his Albiceleste team overcome their eternal rivals in a 3-0 victory.
Given this recent performance, it comes as no surprise knowing how well he’s doing at a club level as well. Already integrated within the first team at River Plate, he has attracted major European interest. Manchester City, Real Madrid, and PSG are reportedly all interested in him.
Luckily for Barcelona, however, the player seems to have a preference towards La Blaugrana. His public admiration of the club is no secret, and he has confirmed his desire to one day dress in a Barcelona shirt.
“Besides River, I would like to play at Barça. I’m a big fan of Messi, and I used to watch him play at Barcelona, so I’ve carried this love for the team since I was very young.”
His current price tag is estimated to be around €20 million. However, his latest performances at the World Cup will undoubtedly lead to this number surging upwards.
It remains to be seen how Barcelona respond to this admiration towards them, given that they already have a golden generation of youngsters coming up. Interestingly, many of these players were also recently performing quite well at the same tournament.
