Chelsea plot triple wonderkid swoop after U17 World Cup

Tom Weber

Updated: 4 Dec 2023 17:13 GMT
3 min read

Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea — © ProShots

Chelsea and Man City are interested in three River Plate wonderkids after impressing at the U17 World Cup.

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The tournament has ended and although Germany were ultimately crowned world champions in Indonesia, many teams left a lasting impression, none more so than Argentina. Before being surprisingly beaten in the match for third place by Mali's magicians, Argentina smashed hated rivals Brazil in a match that raised eyebrows.

One player that particularly impressed in that game was Claudio Echeverri, who is already being compared to a young Lionel Messi. Across the entire tournament, however, it was teammate Agustin Ruberto who made headlines, winning the golden boot. Fellow attacker Ian Subiabre, meanwhile, also burst onto the radar of European clubs.

Indeed, all three impressed so much that they are now being eyed by Chelsea and Man City - and they want them all.

Triple swoop?

That's at least according to 90min, which reports that both Premier League giants are keen to sign the River Plate trio, even though two of the youngsters are yet to make their senior debuts.

With Echeverri and Ruberto both turning 18 in January, they will already be able to head to Europe in the winter and due to their contracts expiring in late 2024, River Plate will likely be forced to sell unless they can agree on fresh terms.

Despite this, Man City would be open to letting the two remain in Argentina, just as they did with Julian Alvarez in 2022. The Manchester outfit still has a good relationship with River because of this deal. 16-year-old Subiabre, meanwhile, doesn't turn 18 until January 2025.

The report asserts that Chelsea are "prepared to match any deals on offer," while furthermore claiming that the likes of Man Utd, Brighton and Tottenham have also held talks with at least one of the youngsters.