Young stars from South America who could light up the game following Echeverri

Manchester City are reportedly close to finalising a deal for Argentinian wonderkid Claudio Echeverri - and the 18-year-old is far from the only promising footballer emerging from South America.

Pep Guardiola's side have acted quick to secure his signature from River Plate for a fee of £22m.

The deal has echoes of the way Man City lured Julian Alvarez from River Plate for £18m in January 2022, before loaning him back for the remainder of that campaign.

Echeverri, dubbed the 'next Lionel Messi' in some circles, is the latest on South America's long production line of wonderkids.

Here, Mail Sport looks at Echeverri and some of the other shining lights from the continent who could make huge waves in the game in years to come.

Claudio Echeverri (Argentina)

Echeverri, who turned 18 two days into 2024, enjoyed an impressive spell for Argentina at the Under-17 World Cup.

His country finished fourth, while the winger scored five goals - including a hat-trick against Brazil - and finished joint-second in the race for the tournament's golden boot.

His style of play has seen him showcase 'devilish' dribbling skills, pace in one-on-one scenarios and a powerful shot.

Echeverri has made just four appearances for River Plate this season, amassing a total of 72 minutes of football, but his international displays attracted interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan.

However, it is the Premier League champions Man City that have won the race to sign him.

Once the deal is confirmed, Echeverri will spend the rest of the calendar year with River Plate, who he is contracted to until December, before coming to Manchester.

Agustin Ruberto (Argentina)

Echeverri's five goals at the Under-17 World Cup was only eclipsed by one man - Argentina and River Plate colleague Agustin Ruberto.

The promising forward turns 18 on January 6, four days after Echeverri, and has been part of River Plate academy since 2011, initially as a central defender before youth coaches encouraged him to move up front.

He has a professional contract at the Argentine giants until December 2024, and his performances in the reserve team have already attracted the interest of Brighton.

If he can continue to find his goalscoring boots, other offers are set to follow.

Kendry Paez (Ecuador)

The Ecuadorian talent signed for Chelsea from Independiente in the summer of 2023 - and whilst the 16-year-old will only join up with the London club in July 2025, he has shown why he was so attractive to the Blues.

In October, he became the youngest ever South American player to score in a World Cup qualifier, nabbing Ecuador's first in a 2-1 win over Bolivia.

He had only made his senior debut for the national side the previous month, managing 70 minutes of their 2-1 win over Uruguay, and providing an assist.

The central midfielder, another player who idolises Messi, made his debut for Independiente del Valle aged just 15, and became the youngest ever debutant goal scorer in Ecuador's top flight.

Since then, he has become a central piece of the side - and will do until he turns 18 in 2025, and joins Chelsea in a deal worth £17.2million.

Endrick (Brazil)

The 17-year-old Brazilian revealed his 'biggest idol' is Cristiano Ronaldo, so it is perhaps no surprise that Endrick always wanted to play for Real Madrid.

The LaLiga giants shelled out £51m for one of the brightest emerging stars in the game, and he will join up with the team next summer -  with an eye on winning five Champions League titles with Los Blancos.

The Palmeiras player is the youngest star called into Brazil’s senior squad since Ronaldo in 1993.

Endrick broke into the Palmeiras first team in 2022, and his performances have matured under boss Abel Ferreira, to the point where he is excelling against the country's best teams.

And now with his place in the Brazilian squad, he could become an important part of the country's bid to win the Copa America in the summer, before joining up with Real Madrid, where he hopes to line up next to Kylian Mbappe.

Vitor Roque (Brazil)

Vitor Roque is contracted to Barcelona until the 2030-31 season, after a deal announced in July 2023 to bring the forward from Athletico Paranaense to LaLiga.

The 18-year-old, once dubbed 'the new Luis Suarez' for his lethal finishing, was a target for Arsenal, but his dream move was Barcelona, so that's where he went.

He remains one of the most promising talents in football right now, and Barcelona have given him the No. 19 jersey, as they look to incorporate the Brazilian forward into their domestic plans.

Vitor Roque earned his first call-up to the Brazilian national side in March 2023, coming off the bench in a 2-1 defeat to Morocco.

On the domestic stage in Brazil, Vitor Roque scored 21 goals in 60 games for Athletico Paranaense, before his move to Spain.

Luis Guilherme (Brazil)

Manchester United target Luis Guilherme is a Brazilian under-20 international who is a regular in the first team at his native Palmeiras.

The midfielder has been part of the youth set up at the club since 2017, and signed his first professional contract in 2022.

He made his debut for Palmeiras in April 2023, and has made 18 appearances for the team since.

He was part of the Brazilian team that won the South American under-20 Championship in the first part of 2023.

His pace - clocking a top speed of 36.4 km/h in a game in 2022 - has attracted the interest of foreign clubs including Manchester United.

In October, Mundo Deportivo reported that Guilherme has a £52m release clause in his contract, showing just how much value Palmeiras have on their midfielder.

Lorran (Brazil)

Another Manchester United target is another Flamengo's 17-year-old Lorran.

The attacking midfielder was born in Rio de Janeiro, and has grown through the youth system at Flamengo, signing a professional contract on his 16th birthday in July 2022.

He made his club debut in January 2023, coming on as a substitute with regular team members preparing for the FIFA Club World Cup.

He became the youngest goalscorer in Flamengo's history with his equaliser away at Bangu last January, and his club appearances have also led to him picking up eight caps for the Brazilian under-17s.

In October, it was revealed that Lorran has a £43m buyout price, in case foreign clubs look to recruit their star.