Barca star Leo Messi's cousin signs for Newell's Old Boys

Emanuel Biancucchi, Lionel Messi's cousin, has signed for Newell's Old Boys, the club where the Barcelona star developed and the club who he still supports.

"It's a dream that I have had all my life which is now a reality. It's my whole family's dream, too, we are all fanatical about Newell's," said Biancucchi in an interview with the Argentine club's official website after signing his contract.

"I have always followed Newell's. As a kid, I always came to the ground and when I was in different countries I also followed them online, always keeping an eye on their games from a distance," he explained.

The 30-year-old midfielder came through Newell's academy but made his professional debut in 2009 with 1860 Munich.

Messi's cousin has had a long football career. He has also played for Girona, Independiente (Paraguay), Olimpia (Paraguay), Bahía (Brazil), Vasco da Gama (Brazil), Ceará (Brazil), Rubio Ñú (Paraguay) and General Díaz (Paraguay).

In 2018, he played for Melgar in Peru, where he won the domestic league.

"As well as his last title, he won the Campeonato Baiano with Bahia (2014), the Campeonato Carioca (2015) with Vasco da Gama en and was runner up in the Copa Libertadores with Olimpia in 2013," the Argentine club said.

'Biancu' joins the club on as a "free player" and signed until Dec. 31 of the current year with an option to buy 60 percent of his rights for 200,000 dollars.

In the Argentine Superliga, the team from Rosaria are 13th with 18 points, 18 back from leaders Racing Club. They are closer to the relegation zone.