Pep Guardiola could hand Man City's £12m teenage sensation debut this weekend in FA Cup

Manchester City could hand teenage midfield sensation Claudio Echeverri his debut in the FA Cup this weekend.

The talented youngster was signed from River Plate in January 2024 but has continued with Argentina's biggest club to further his development since.

But City have decided to bring him into their senior squad for the remainder of the current campaign, despite Echeverri representing Argentina at the Under-20 South American Championship - thus delaying his arrival.

He shone for his country at the tournament and has now finally arrived in Manchester. He is set to begin training with his new team-mates on Thursday, after a few days acclimatising to life in a new country and following Wednesday's Premier League meeting with Spurs.

If all goes well, he could be in contention for Saturday's clash with Championship side Plymouth Argyle - who, of course, KO'd Premier League leaders Liverpool in the last round.

Over the next few months, City will be assessing Echeverri's progress to determine the best course for his future. He may stay with Guardiola's first team, much like Julian Alvarez did after his 2022 transfer.

But a loan move to another European club is also a possibility. It depends how Echeverri adapts and does between now and the end of the campaign.

This path was previously taken by midfielder Maximo Perrone, who joined from Velez Sarsfeld and made a single Premier League appearance as a substitute in 2023 before embarking on season-long loans at Las Palmas and Como. Perrone had the opportunity to play for City in pre-season and Echeverri could potentially join the squad heading to the Club World Cup in June.

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