Barcelona preparing to beat Real Madrid in race to sign Claudio Echeverri from River Plate

Claudio Echeverri has been on the radar of many top European teams in recent months and his brilliant performances at the U-17 World Cup with Argentina has only added to the interest. Of all the clubs keen on securing his signature, Barcelona are favorites to sign him, as reported in Argentina.

The year began with his first professional contract for two years with River Plate until December 2024 with a clause of €25 million, a sign of his performances at underage level as he had not yet made his debut with the first team. Then came the South American U-17 Championship in April, his debut with River in June, and, finally, the U-17 World Cup with Argentina.

Real Madrid and Man City interested

According to Radio la Red, Barcelona have informed River Plate of their intention to sign the 17-year-old Argentinian, who turns 18 in January. The Catalans are reportedly willing to pay €30 million to land the attacking midfielder, five million more than his termination clause. They would the fee pay in several installments, with a move potentially taking place in June 2024. Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester City are among the interested parties.

River aiming for contract renewal

River want to keep the highly-talented teen at the club and the club’s board want to increase the clause from €25 million to €50 million and extend his contract for several more years.

“I am convinced that the Echeverri issue will be resolved by the end of the year. That’s what his agent told me,” said Jorge Brito, president of River, in an interview with TyC Sports on Tuesday.

“We had agreed to discuss this before the World Cup, but we didn’t want to hinder that trip and he did great. We are accompanying the whole process of Claudio’s growth and I hope we will soon have news.”