It’s been a relatively quiet January transfer window across the board, as it can often be for many teams, but Manchester City has completed another bit of exciting business as they officially announced the signing of so-called ‘wonderkid’ Claudio Echeverri — but who is he?
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder’s move from Argentine giants River Plate was confirmed on Thursday, 25 January, with Man City confirming that he will be loaned straight back to the club until this time next year.
Operating as an attacking midfielder, it’s fair to say that not only do the Blues have plenty of stars that play in the position but any new signing, no matter how senior, would struggle to find their way into that well-oiled machined.
Being given a contract until 2028 on a deal worth around £12.5 million plus add-ons despite only just turning 18, it’s fair to say City are putting a lot of faith in the highly-promising prospect but why exactly is he being so highly thought of at such a young age?
We are pleased to announce we have completed the signing of Claudio Echeverri from River Plate ✍️
Claudio has signed a contract until June 2028 but will remain at River before moving to the Etihad Stadium in January next year.
For starters, it’s worth noting that some of his closest admirers have dubbed him ‘the next Lionel Messi‘, and not just because he’s young and a fellow compatriot.
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Playing in an advanced role and predominantly as a classic number 10, the parallels are obvious and given his calmness and composure in front of goal, it didn’t take long for fans and pundits to turn the marriage of nationality, position, goalscoring and a fair amount of skill into the excitable comparison.
With a penchant for dribbling and having already captained Argentina’s youth side to the semi-finals of the U17 World Cup late last year, he’s already had a taster of having the weight of a nation’s hopes on his shoulders in some capacity. That’s the kind of character that should take to the Premier League well.
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Scoring nine in six across the tournament, he bagged a hattrick in the quarters against Brazil before they lost on penalties to Germany, earning himself the chance to train with the first-team squad on a number of occasions.
At club level, despite only making six senior appearances for River Plate, he’s already won two trophies with them — the Argentine Primera Division and the Trofeo de Campeones — registering an assist within just four cameo appearances coming off the bench.
Speaking to Sky Sports, South American football expert Tim Vickery, made another key comparison, stating that “Echeverri is taking a similar path as Julián Álvarez: River Plate and Argentina to Manchester City and England – but with significant differences.
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“Alvarez went at the age of 22 as a consolidated Argentina international and as the best player in Argentine football.
“Echeverri has only just turned 18 and we’ve hardly seen him in senior Argentine football. Just six games with most of those off the substitutes’ bench. It’s the same journey but with a very different route map.”
Going on to caveat that although dubbing him the next Messi might be getting carried away at this stage, he did insist that the youngster’s “promise is huge”, highlighting his “real pace and changes of pace, changes of rhythm, real knowledge of where to hurt the opposition and attacking space”, in particular.
The consensus seems to be that he’s Claudio Echeverri is definitely one of the future and potentially a talent to build around in the long term and, thankfully, his loan move straight back to his previous club will allow him to keep playing more regular football just as Álvarez did before arriving at the Etihad.
With Kalvin Phillips having just been loaned to West Ham from City in search of minutes after missing valuable months due to being simply kept out by such a wealth of talent in the middle of the park, Pep Guardiola and his staff certainly won’t want to risk a similar situation.
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One thing’s for sure, he’s definitely one to keep an eye on.
Featured Images — Man City/Claudio Echeverri/Argentine National Team (via Instagram)
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Rodri has been fined for his comments about referees following Man City vs Spurs game
Danny Jones
Manchester City star Rodri has been fined a large sum for his comments about recent refereeing following the Blues’ game against Tottenham Hotspur last month.
The Man City midfielder and Spanish international has avoided a match ban, as many supporters first feared, but will still pay £80k as punishment for the remarks.
While perhaps not a huge figure for a Premier League footballer, he still admitted to questioning the officiating on the day, but did submit evidence to the board in arguing his case.
The Euro 2024 winner had already been charged by the FA following the comments a fortnight after the frustrating home draw, but was given until 18 February to respond/appeal.
BREAKING: Rodri has been fined £80,000 and warned about his future conduct over comments made following Man City's draw with Tottenham Hotspur last month. pic.twitter.com/wdP4slCNef
At the time, little detail was revealed about what exactly was said to the ref, with Rodri accusing Rob Jones of not being neutral and acting in an ‘improper manner’, but it was his comments in the post-match zone that shone an extra spotlight on the situation.
Speaking to the media after the game, the 29-year-old said: “I know we won too much and the people don’t want us to win, but the referee has to be neutral. It’s not fair because we work so hard.
“When everything is finished, you are frustrated. It’s one game and another game and another game – and it’s not possible. Honestly, I never speak about referees; I respect their job massively, but they have to pay attention to these things.”
Rodri was referring to the equaliser by Dominic Solanke, who scored his brace in the 70th-minute to bring his team level, but City and many other football fans believed kicked through defender Marc Guehi’s leg to do so.
As a result, instead of a foul being given, the goal stood, the game ended 2-2, and Pep Guardiola’s side went on to drop crucial points in this year’s title race.
In case you missed any of it, you can see the challenge/controversial goal in question HERE, and listen to Rodri’s response in the immediate aftermath down below.
As you can see, he went on to insist that the incident was “so clear”, as well as intimating that this wasn’t the first time.
He and others around the club believe he and his teammates had been on the receiving end of some incorrect decisions for “two, three games in a row”, adding, “I don’t know why.”
What do you make of the choice to fine Rodri for his comments about referees, or do you think the central Man City cog should have even been punished?
Featured Images — Sky Sports (screenshot via YouTube)
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Medlock Square: Manchester’s new £300 million entertainment destination on the Etihad Campus
Danny Jones
Manchester’s newest entertainment destination, located over at the ever-growing Etihad Campus, has finally been given a name ahead of its launch later this year.
Alongside the recently announced and Radisson-run hotel, Medlock Square will see the Manchester City-partnered mini leisure district aim to become a new must-visit part of the city.
Hoping to draw in crowds beyond just matchdays and those heading to concerts across the way, approximately £300 million is being pumped into the project.
With Co-op Live having already brought huge revenues into Greater Manchester, it isn’t just set to be a pricey development, but one that will look to serve as yet another money spinner for the wider City Football Group (CFG) and the City Region.
Credit: CFG (supplied)
Unveiling the first CGIs of the square this week, this new area will essentially see attractions and activities spill out of the Etihad Stadium, Co-op Live and the soon-to-open Medlock hotel and on to the campus as a whole.
With other parts of Sportcity already revolving around the footballing epicentre, such as the Manchester Regional Arena and National Squash Centre, this will not only see even more sporting events and supporters brought to the roughly 80-acre plot, but also fans of various other forms of entertainment.
For instance, within the plans that already include the food and drink offerings you would expect – with Radisson Blu backing more of the relaxation and indulgent side of things – other activities include everything from “an adrenaline-fuelled sky walk experience”, as well as zip-wire and abseiling.
We already knew about some of these from the details in Man City’s stadium expansion plans (including the likes of The Medlock and rooftop bar), and glimpses of the impending hotel opening gave us a better idea of the overall look, but there looks to be plenty more in the pipeline.
You can see a trailer for what they have in mind for Medlock Square down below.
Welcome to Medlock Square. Manchester’s newest entertainment destination. A place where mouthwatering cuisine and world class entertainment, experiences and events converge. Coming soon! pic.twitter.com/4bC7NQbMHT
As per an official press release by the fledgling team, more information on further business and employment opportunities has also now been confirmed, centring around the new ‘One Medlock Square’ structure that will be built on the campus.
“Designed to accommodate up to 300 employees, the state-of-the-art workspace will offer high-quality, modern office facilities alongside access to shared event spaces and wellness amenities, uniquely positioned within Manchester’s most exciting new destination”, the statement reads.
There’s certainly some ambitious stuff in the works, put it that way.
And, of course, these will also slot into a renovated club shop turned meagstore, an all-new Man City museum, the Co-op arena, live music and other open-air events, just to name a few. A specific opening date is yet to be scheduled, but you can guarantee it’ll be a big deal when it does launch.
Danny Jones -
26th January 2024 
