Barcelona boss Xavi admitted River Plate prodigy Claudio Echeverri is a "talent" amid transfer links with the Spanish giants.
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Echeverri linked with BarcelonaArgentine catching the eye at River PlateXavi says teenager is "a talent"WHAT HAPPENED?
claims Barcelona are interested in the young River Plate midfielder but face competition from Chelsea, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain. However, the Argentine has previously expressed a desire to join the Catalan side. Now, Barca boss Xavi has spoken about the player nicknamed El Diablito (Little Devil).
Advertisement(C)GettyImagesWHAT XAVI SAID
He said on Friday: "The boy [Echeverri] is a talent. Beyond the hat-trick he scored against Brazil [at the U17 World Cup], he's a difference-maker, but it's something for the scouting department [to deal with]."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Echeverri, who turns 18 in January, has set his sights on joining Barca one day.
"As well as River, I would like to play for Barca," he said before the under-17 World Cup in November. "I am a big [Lionel] Messi fan and I watched him play there, so they are a team I have followed since I was very young."
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CLAUDIO ECHEVERRI?
The January transfer window opens in just over two weeks' time. Perhaps Barcelona will make a move for him in early 2024.