Certain sagas that involve FC Barcelona seem to continue dragging on no matter what. Often associated with the most prominent talents in world football, the Catalan club is a rather renowned connoisseur of rising wonderkids. However, the latest name to grab the attention of Barcelona hails from Argentina.
Dubbed the ‘New Messi’ by various outlets and reports, Claudio Echeverri is a player who excites many. Still aged just 17, the youngster is an attacking midfielder with great dribbling prowess and creativity. Moreover, he has even publicly admitted to his admiration for Barcelona.
In terms of his claim to fame, the Argentinian displayed his best qualities at the Under-17 FIFA World Cup. A key moment being his hattrick against Brazil, the 17-year-old was outstanding across the tournament. Now, while being contracted to River Plate, he has given a new hint on his future.
Currently contracted to the Argentine club until December of 2024, many clubs are invested in him. However, given the interest from Barcelona, the latest update provided by the player to ESPN gives a great deal of hope to the Catalans.
Following River Plate’s latest game against Rosario Central, in which he started for the first time, Echeverri had the following to say:
“I am not going to renew my contract [with River Plate which ends in December 2024]. I am going to play this year [for River Plate], for six more months, and then we will see what happens.”
With his current club having hoped to renew him to extract a greater transfer fee, this comes as a great blow to River Plate. Simultaneously, it comes as great news to Barcelona and other interested parties.
By the summer of 2024, River Plate would not be in a great place to demand for a significant transfer fee. As a result, Barça’s financial issues could become less crucial to making the deal a reality.
