Chelsea are considering signing under-17 World Cup sensation Claudio Echeverri, with plans to loan him to BlueCo-owned RC Strasbourg. The potential move confirmed by Foot Mercato comes as a surprise, given that Manchester City are reportedly the frontrunners to sign the young Argentinian talent. Manchester City has been active in recruiting prospects from River Plate, recently signing 23-yewr-old Julián Álvarez. Other clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid, and PSG, are also reportedly interested in Echeverri.
Claudio Echeverri – Getty image Recall a release clause of €25 has been pegged as the player’s release clause, which has been widely consider too much for an upcoming talent. However, despite the disagreement in some quarters, Chelsea and other top European clubs are focused on his talent and what he can offer.
Logos of Chelsea football club and Strasbourg The agreement will also see BlueCo invest in Strasbourg’s first teams and academy while Marc Keller remains the club’s president having been at the helm since 2012 when the club was at risk of being liquidated. Commenting on the recent acquisition, Keller said; “This is an important day for Racing [Club de Strasbourg]. It’s something my shareholder friends and I have been thinking about for the past two years, “We’ve built a club that’s healthy at every level and well managed. Although there was no financial urgency, we were aware that we had reached the ceiling of our model. “If we wanted to continue driving Racing forward and projecting it into a new dimension, we necessarily needed to be accompanied by a solid structure capable of supporting our development and our ambition.” Reports in France have claimed Chelsea are paying €75m (£65m) for their share. The Chelsea owners are also expected to buy shares in a Portuguese club and more teams could be incorporated into the Stamford Bridge outfit’s grand plans. 
The American businessman completed his takeover of the Blues at the end of last May after Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale when he was sanctioned in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Boehly who already co-owns two basketball teams, Los Angeles Sparks and Los Angeles Lakers as well as baseball side Los Angeles Dodgers, is looking to expand his sporting empire and has held talks with Strasbourg’s president Marc Keller, who has been in charge of the French side since 2012, about a potential takeover. According to L’Equipe, Boehly and his partners are interested in buying a 100 per cent stake in Strasbourg. The club is currently plying their trade in the top division of French football and are 15th in the table after winning four of their 24 matches this season. Last September, there were reports that Boehly wanted to explore the possibility of buying a club in Brazil after being turned down by Santos. 