Manchester City are reportedly close to completing the signing of 20-year-old midfielder Maximo Perrone from Velez Sarsfield this week.
Manchester City would be about to complete the signing of Maxime Perrone from Velez Sarsfield this week.
The Citizens reportedly entered negotiations with the Argentine club in December over a deal to sign the highly regarded defensive midfielder, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Saturday.
Perrone made his professional debut for Velez in March last year and quickly became a key player in the 2022 campaign, scoring three goals in 33 Primera Division and Copa Libertadores appearances.
The youngster’s rapid rise has caught the eye of Premier League champions Man City and he is now set to become their first signing of the winter window.
According to Daily mailthe Citizens have agreed a fee of around £6.5m to sign Perrone and his transfer to the Etihad Stadium is expected to be finalized at some point this week.
Newcastle United, Wanderers of Wolverhampton and Benfica were also credited with an interest in Perrone this month, but City have seemingly won the race for his signature.
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Perrone should partner with Pep Guardiolaand he will be assessed in the second half of this campaign before a decision is made on whether he will stay with the team or go on loan next season.
The midfielder will first join the Argentina Under-20 squad ahead of the South American Under-20 Championships, which kick off on January 19 and run until February 12.
Argentina Under-20s are coached by the former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascheranowho reportedly spoke to Guardiola about Perrone’s potential.
The youngster featured seven times for the Argentina Under-16s before making his Under-20 debut under Mascherano in March, playing for 45 minutes in a 2-2 draw with the United States.
Perrone is set to become the second highly-rated Argentine in the last 12 months to trade his native country for the Etihad after Julian Alvarezwho completed his move to City from River Plate in January 2022.
Alvarez stayed with River on loan before joining the City squad in the summer, and the 2022 World Cup winner has since impressed when called up by Guardiola, scoring eight goals in 22 appearances in all competitions.