Man City to win race for Argentina midfielder
By Tom Gott
Manchester City are set to win the race to sign Velez Sarsfield midfielder Maximo Perrone, 90min understands.
The 19-year-old has been on the radars of a number of sides across Europe, with Benfica the latest to express an interest in Perrone as they brace themselves for the possible departure of Chelsea target Enzo Fernandez.
Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers have both chased Perrone's signature as well but sources have confirmed to 90min that it is City who will complete a deal for the midfielder.
Personal terms were not a problem in negotiations and City have since confirmed to Velez their willingness to trigger his release clause, which sits at about $9m (£7.5m), in order to finalise the deal.
Perrone is due in Manchester to put pen to paper on a long-term contract before returning to South America to take part in the CONMEBOL Sudamericano Sub-20 with Argentina, which begins on January 19.
Joining City is likely to ensure that Perrone's rapid rise continues. Only afforded his senior debut for Velez in March 2022, the midfielder has been a regular for his club ever since and has notched a couple of goals and assists, largely playing from the base of midfield.
Comparisons have been drawn between Perrone and Argentine legend Fernando Redondo, while modern reports have compared the teenager's playing style to that of Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong.