London, Jan 25 : English Premier League winners Manchester City on Thursday confirmed they have signed Argentinean starlet Claudio Echeverri from River Plate for an initial fee of around 12.5 million pounds (almost 16 million U.S. dollars). The reigning European and Premier League champion confirmed the 18-year-old has agreed a contract until the end of June 2028, although he will spend the next 12 months with River Plate before moving to England in January 2025. A creative attacking midfielder, Echeverri has been compared to players such as Pablo Aimar and even Diego Maradona, thanks to his close control and ability to beat players with the ball at his feet, reports Xinhua. He made his first team debut with River Plate in June 2023 and has impressed with the Argentinean Under-17 team, scoring 13 goals in 23 appearances. /IANS