Claudio Echeverri: Argentina’s ‘next Lionel Messi’ destined for superstardom at Man City

In the modern age of social media, budding young footballers have the opportunity to make a name for themselves well before breaking into the professional game, with spectacular goals or moments of individual brilliance often caught on camera. Claudio Echeverri, for example, became a viral sensation at just 11 years of age while competing for a River Plate youth team in the 2017 Venice Champions Trophy – a seven-a-side tournament that also included Atletico Madrid, Ajax, Juventus and Chelsea.

Echeverri scored nine goals in six appearances as the Millonarios finished third, with four of those coming in a superb display against Juve, but he was far from satisfied. “The truth is that we aren’t happy because we wanted to win the tournament,” the youngster told reporters after his team’s exit.

That will to win has since helped set Echeverri apart from other promising players in his orbit, and he is now set to complete a dream move to the Premier League, despite only turning 18 on January 2. Manchester City announced on Thursday that they have reached an agreement to sign the River and Argentina starlet for an initial £12.5 million ($16m) fee after fighting off competition from Barcelona.

City have a strong record when it comes to bringing the best out of Argentina’s best exports, with the likes of Pablo Zabaleta, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero helping them to emerge as the dominant force in the Premier League. Julian Alvarez is now flying the Argentine flag for the English champions, having also been snapped up from River, and there is no reason why Echeverri can’t follow in his footsteps after a stunning start to his fledgling career.

Where it all began
Echeverri was born in Resistencia, the capital of the Chaco province located in north-east Argentina, and learned the basics of football from his father at an early age. He was also supported by his mother and two brothers, all of whom encouraged him to pursue his dreams after it became apparent that he had a natural aptitude for the beautiful game.

Local club Deportivo Lujan gave him the opportunity to hone his skills, and he did enough to catch the attention of River scouts, who offered him a trial at the age of 10. It didn’t take long for Echeverri to make his mark, as former River recruitment director Daniel Brizuela recently told TyC Sports: “Beyond skill and technique, we look at decision-making, intelligence and character. Claudio was like a 10-year-old man.”

River declared their intention to sign Echeverri, but family ties almost prevented their union. Brizuela added: “We were standing in front of the Monumental, and Echeverri said to me: ‘I am a River fan, and I love it here, but if my mother isn’t joining me, then I will head back to Chaco.’”

Former River manager Marcelo Gallardo and president Rodolfo D’Onofrio, however, were adamant that Echeverri couldn’t slip through the net, and helped arrange accommodation for his mother at an apartment in Buenos Aires – which was an unprecedented move given his age.

Echeverri then rose through the River ranks at a rapid rate, with his star turn at the Venice Champions Trophy proving to be just the beginning. He made his debut for the club’s reserve team in a clash with Patronato on October 2022 as a 16-year-old, and marked the occasion with a goal.

Two months later, River handed the teenage sensation his first professional contract. The nickname El Diablito was also bestowed on Echeverri (‘Little Devil’ in English), which tells you everything you need to know about his unique talent given it was also a moniker for Marco Etcheverry – the flamboyant former MLS and Bolivia star widely considered to be one of the greatest players in South American history.

The big break
In March last year, Echeverri made another important breakthrough. The River starlet was invited to train with Argentina’s senior squad while he prepared for the Under-17 World Cup, which gave him the chance to work with a certain Lionel Messi.

Echeverri didn’t look out of place either, as Angel Di Maria told reporters when quizzed on the teenager’s abilities: “He looked sharp, we definitely watched him. He has a lot to give.”

That experience led to River boss Martin Demichelis handing Echeverri his senior debut for the club, in a home fixture against Instituto AC Cordoba on June 23. He pitched in with an assist as River ran out 3-1 winners, and went on to feature in another three matches before the end of the 2023 season.

The stage was set for Echeverri to make a big impact at the U17 World Cup in Peru, and he didn’t disappoint. He scored five goals across seven appearances as Argentina enjoyed a thrilling run through to the semi-finals, including a stunning hat-trick against Brazil in the last eight.

His third goal closely resembled a famous finish from Messi against the Selecao in 2021, as he had the composure and speed of thought to round the goalkeeper after being played through, before poking the ball into the back of the net.

Argentina ultimately exited the competition after a penalty shootout defeat to Germany, with Echeverri seeing his spot-kick saved to go from hero to zero after a dramatic equaliser in normal time, but Scott Christensen, Transfermarkt’s area manager for Argentina and South America, was left in no doubt about his potential to become a top player.

“He is without a doubt the biggest talent in Argentina,” Christensen said. “He is a small player who plays as an attacking midfielder. He is skilful, a good dribbler, creative, difficult to anticipate, and has a very strong finish. He is a player who always wants the ball and the initiative.”

How it’s going
Echeverri’s performances in Peru put him on the map, with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Man City, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Inter, AC Milan and Benfica all subsequently credited with an interest in his services.

It was Barcelona who initially emerged as the frontrunners for his signature, though, and Xavi added fuel to the fire when pressed on a potential transfer. “The boy is a talent,” the Barca boss told the media. “Beyond the hat-trick he scored against Brazil, he’s a difference-maker, but it’s something for the scouting department [to deal with].”

Before the World Cup, Echeverri had even admitted that he dreams of following in Messi’s footsteps, saying: “As well as River, I would like to play for Barca. I’m a big fan of Messi and I used to watch him play for Barcelona, so I’ve had this team inside me since I was very young.”

Realistically, though, Barca are not in a position to fork out on permanent transfers right now, as they continue to try and reduce their overall wage bill to fall in line with La Liga regulations. The reigning Spanish champions certainly cannot compete with the financial power of City.

The blockbuster transfer comes off the back of the Argentine teenager’s brilliant performance in his first game as a starter for the River senior team. Echeverri dazzled as Demichelis’ side stormed to a dominant 2-0 victory over Rosario Central in the Champions Trophy final on December 23.

Echeverri was visibly emotional after landing his first piece of silverware with the Millonarios, but dropped a bombshell on his future after the game, telling ESPN: “My representative spoke with the president, I am not going to renew but I am going to stay a year or six months.”

Biggest strengths

So many players have been dubbed ‘the next Messi’ down the years, from his former Barcelona team-mate Bojan Krikic to Martin Odegaard in his early days at Real Madrid. No one has come close to living up to that billing, and the comparisons don’t do Echeverri any favours, but he certainly does possess some of the attributes that set Argentina’s talismanic captain apart from his peers.

Echeverri dribbles with a low centre of gravity and boasts excellent close control, along with an assured first touch and varied passing range. He’s a tenacious, hard-working player with a keen eye for goal, and is versatile enough to operate as a traditional No.10, a winger or even as an out-and-out striker.

Messi and the very best players in the world have unerring confidence in their own abilities, and Echeverri is no different. He is just as humble as the Inter Miami superstar off the pitch, too, recognising that he is still only at the start of his journey with much work still to be done. “I always said that my idol was Messi, but I’m nowhere near Messi!” Echeverri said to FIFA’s official website in November.

He added on what he sees as his biggest strength: “I think it could be my speed, because I’m very fast; I try to get on the ball quickly and I immediately get forward.”

Room for improvement
Technically, Echeverri is already way ahead of schedule. River have carefully managed his development and the hype around him to ensure that he keeps his feet on the ground, and so far, his football has done the talking for for him.

But it remains to be seen how his body will hold up to the demands of regular senior football. “Nobody doubts Claudio’s technical abilities and his intelligence that allows him to solve all sorts of difficult situations,” River boss Demichelis said after Echeverri’s debut in the summer. “But from a physical standpoint, the first phase was very difficult for him. When I joined River, I knew Echeverri was a diamond in the rough to be cut and polished.”

Echeverri is also over-reliant on his right-foot, and doesn’t always pick his head up in the final third, opting to try and dribble past multiple players instead of looking for an incisive pass. Improving his decision-making and physicality will be essential if he is to succeed in the Premier League, where the pace of the game is far quicker and he will have to get used to rough treatment from defenders.

The next… Pablo Aimar?
Echeverri is not arrogant enough to believe that he will be Argentina’s new Messi. The River forward actually believes he has more in common with Pablo Aimar, the current assistant coach for the Alibiceste, who played with Messi at the start of his international career.

“I really liked Pablo Aimar, he’s spoken to me many times,” Echeverri added in his interview with FIFA. “He’s a great person, and he gives me useful pointers about what I need to correct in my game. He was a talented player and loved to take on defenders like me.”

Aimar also graduated from the River academy, and went on to become a household name at Valencia, where he won two La Liga titles, before taking in spells at Real Zaragoza and Benfica. He amassed an impressive haul of 52 caps for Argentina, too, and Messi has revealed on several occasions that the former playmaker was his idol in his days as a budding prospect.

Before Messi started setting unprecedented new standards of excellence, there were few players in the European game with a better mastery of the ball than Aimar. Injuries prevented the former Valencia talisman from reaching his full potential, but he was capable of opening up the tightest games with his agility and vision, which made him a joy to watch.

Echeverri has the same capacity to be the difference-maker, and is very similar to Aimar in terms of his balletic style of dribbling and intelligent movement in and out of possession. Without Aimar, there is a good chance the world would never have seen the best version of Messi, and there is no better role model for Echeverri to learn from as he enters the next phase of his career.

What comes next?

Man City fans will already be salivating over the prospect of seeing Echeverri in action, but they will have to wait, as the teenager is set to remain at River on loan for the duration of their 2024 campaign. City, who have tied Echeverri down until 2028, are in no rush to push him into the spotlight like they did Alvarez, who was four years older when he joined the club.

The teenage ace has already started to set himself ambitious new goals. “I always said that my dream was to make my debut for River’s first team, and I’ve done that now,” he said to FIFA. “Now, it’s probably playing for the senior national team. That’s my dream.”

If Echeverri can now establish himself as a fixture in Demichelis’ starting XI at Estadio Mas Monumental, a first senior call-up to the Argentina squad cannot be ruled out. After all, Messi made his debut for the Albiceleste as an 18-year-old back in 2005, and last summer, Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho emulated the Barcelona legend when featuring in a friendly clash with Australia.

Lionel Scaloni won’t be afraid to give Echeverri a run out, and he might even secretly be aiming for a surprise spot in the Argentina manager’s 2024 Copa America squad. Whatever happens, the next 12 months will be vital for Echeverri as he gears up for a new challenge in the Premier League.

River youth scout Luis Pereira insisted that “El Diablito has no roof” in a recent interview with Radio la Red, and it will be fascinating to see just how far he can go under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola when he eventually does join up with his new team-mates at City.

Echeverri may not be Messi, but he could be the leading light of the new generation, and play a role in making sure that 2022 World Cup winners Argentina remain the team to beat for years to come.