MANCHESTER CITY have paid £1.5million to sign defender Kluiverth Aguilar from Peruvian club Alianza Lima.
However, the 16-year-old will not join up with his new team-mates at the Etihad until his 18th birthday on May 5, 2021.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic and the potentially huge financial losses for Premier League clubs if the season is shelved, City are clearly still willing to spend in the transfer market and plan for the future.
The talented starlet spoke about his excitement of making the move from South America to Europe and having the chance to play in the Premier League.
He told Alianza Lima’s official website: “Going to City is something big in my career. I’m happy they have signed me.
“It is a club with players, a coach and fans that are all extraordinary. My goal is to become an outstanding player in the first team.
“I am glad that the possibility of moving to Europe presented itself to me while I am an Alianza player.”
The deal is likely to prove a record transfer for the Peruvian club.
They are no strangers to transfers with big European clubs having previously offloaded former Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro to Werder Bremen back in 1999.
In 2004 Peruvian speedster Jefferson Farfan left the club to join Dutch giants PSV and most recently starred for Lokomotiv Moscow in Russia.
Aguilar joined Alianza Lima last year after gaining his big break at the U17 South American Championship and the club have agreed a future sell-on fee for the player.
In a statement to their supporters, they said: “Within its policy of signing players with great potential, Manchester City saw in Kluiverth Aguilar a talent capable of playing at the highest level.
“Alianza Lima is proud that a footballer from its team can link his future to that of one of the most prestigious clubs in the world.”
