Manchester City have reportedly completed the signing of Argentinian starlet Maximo Perrone.
The 20-year-old has long been linked with a switch to the Etihad, with his contract at current club Velez Sarsfield due to expire in December of this year.
The Premier League champions saw their pursuit of Perrone hit a wall earlier this winter, though, with Velez rejecting a dissatisfactory offer from Pep Guardiola's men.
The rebuffed offer was confirmed by the club's president Sergio Rapisarda, who told Velez670: "There is the clause which the players can execute. He should present a note to Agremiados, AFA and the club that is going to execute the clause.
"Yes, the player can authorise a third party to deposit the money. They made an offer, we were not seduced. He is a calibre player."
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Perrone's release clause is believed to have been set at €8m (£7m), but according to Fabrizio Romano, Man City have now struck an agreement to sign the midfielder.
Romano claims that Perrone's switch to the Etihad has officially been completed, and the youngster has signed a five-and-a-half year contract until the summer of 2028.
Perrone became a regular fixture in the Velez first team during the 2022 season in Argentina, registering three goals and two assists from 33 appearances in all tournaments.
The Argentina Under-20 international - who primarily operates as a defensive midfielder - started 10 Copa Libertadores games for Velez as they reached the semi-finals before losing to Flamengo.
Perrone missed both legs against the Brazilian side due to a collapsed lung, which kept him out for two months, and he also amassed 13 yellow cards in the 2022 campaign.
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Velez president Rapisarda also admitted that Perrone was keen on the switch to Man City, although he hit out at Argentina Under-20 coach Javier Mascherano for trying to persuade the midfielder to join the Premier League champions.
"The boy, he wants to go," Rapisarda added. "The City coach called him three times, [Javier] Mascherano also persuaded him, which I don't like.
"The boy loves the coach of that club. We are going to take the risk. We are trying to be the best in the transfer and with numbers that favour Velez."
Perrone is currently away with the Argentina Under-20 team for the South American Championships, and he scored his side's only goal in their 2-1 defeat to Paraguay in Group A on Saturday.
Ben Knapton
