Velez Sarsfield have held talks with Premier League champions Manchester City about selling reported Newcastle United and Wolves target Maximo Perrone to Pep Guardiola’s side, president Sergio Rapisarda tells Velez670.
Seven years after the contentious signing of a then-16-year-old Benjamin Garre, Man City are returning to the Jose Amalfitani Stadium with another of Argentina’s most exciting young talents in their sights.
Wolves were the first Premier League club to be linked with Perrone, the other side of Christmas. Newcastle were reportedly closing in at one point too. The Argentina U20 international now looks set to follow in Sergio Aguero’s legendary footsteps instead, however; Rapisarda admitting that direct talks between Perrone and Guardiola are underway.
“I have spoken with the people of City, because we already have a precedent. They were constantly persuading the boy (Garre to join in 2016),” Rapisarda explains, via MEN.
“They made an offer. We were not seduced. He is a high calibre player.”
Manchester City could beat Newcastle and Wolves to Maximo Perrone
According to Fabrizio Romano, Man City already have a verbal agreement in place with Perrone. A deal is likely to cost Guardiola’s out-of-sorts side – who lost away to bitter rivals Man United three days after a shock EFL Cup exit to Southampton – around £6.5 million.
The chance to hone his talents under the an iconic tactician is an opportunity Perrone is desperate to seize.
“The boy, he wants to go. The City coach (Guardiola) called him three times. (Javier) Mascherano also persuaded him, which I don’t like,” the president explains.
“The boy loves the coach of that club. We are trying to be the best in the transfer and with numbers that favour Velez.”
Guardiola worked alongside the legendary Mascherano at Barcelona. Romano adds that the Spaniard contacted the one-time Liverpool enforcer – now Perrone’s national team boss at U20 level – to gauge his opinion on wonderfully-gifted, up-and-coming talent likened to Frenkie de Jong due to his superb ball-carrying ability.
“(Central midfield) is the position that I like the most,” Perrone explains. “Because (in midfield) the ball passes through me a lot. I can see the pitch in front of me and I can reach the penalty area. I want to cover all the positions in midfield.”
Former Velez coach Gabriel Heize even labelled Perrone a ‘spectacular’ prospect while still a teenager rising through the ranks in South America.
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