Manchester City could use teenage midfield talent Claudio Echeverri as a bargaining chip in their pursuit of Lazio defender Mario Gila, according to a report.
Nineteen-year-old phenom Echeverri is now being put through his paces by Pep Guardiola and his staff at Man City's training base, having returned from his loan spell at River Plate in January.
Echeverri is yet to make his debut for the reigning Premier League champions, but the youngster has been hailed as a "special" player and has been tipped for big things at the Etihad Stadium.
The Argentina Under-20 international could realistically enjoy a breakthrough campaign at City next season, as Kevin De Bruyne is out of contract in the summer, while James McAtee could also leave in search of regular minutes.
However, Echeverri might have to wait a little bit longer to make his Man City bow, as according to Gazzetta dello Sport - via Calciomercato - he might be offloaded to Lazio as a makeweight in a deal for Gila.
City to play 'Echeverri card' in Gila move?
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Twenty-four-year-old Gila has been earning plenty of plaudits for his performances at centre-back for Lazio this season, coming up with two goals in 34 matches for the Biancocelesti in all tournaments.
The Spaniard came through the Real Madrid youth system before making the switch to Lazio in the summer of 2022, but his contract with the Italian giants only runs for another two seasons.
Gila is said to have caught the eye of Man City, who are supposedly weighing up whether to use the 'Echeverri card' and join Lazio on loan as part of a deal to bring Gila to the Etihad.
The report adds that the 19-year-old was recently seen in a restaurant near Lazio's training facility, further suggesting that he will secure a temporary switch to the Biancocelesti, although the player denies that he was there.
However, the claims are supposedly 'well-founded', and City allowing Echeverri to join Lazio for the 2025-26 season could help them win the race for Gila, who is valued at €50m (£41.6m) by Lazio.
Which clubs will City have to battle for Gila?
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Man City are reportedly just one of five top-level European teams considering a summer swoop for Gila, a list that also includes Real Madrid, whom the defender made just two senior appearances for.
Los Blancos are known to be in the market for a new centre-back this summer, but they are likely to be frustrated in their efforts to sign William Saliba from Arsenal and are facing stiff competition in the race for Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen.
However, even if Carlo Ancelotti's side do not make a move to bring Gila back to the Bernabeu, they reportedly stand to receive around 50% from any future resale of their former academy product.
Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be interested in the Lazio defender, whom his current club paid just €6m (£5m) to sign in 2022.
Ben Knapton
