LONDON, Jan 24 — Manchester City signed promising Velez Sarsfield midfielder Maximo Perrone in a deal worth a reported £8 million (RM42 million) on Monday.

Argentina Under-20 international Perrone agreed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League champions.

The 20-year-old is currently playing at the South American Under-20 Championship in Colombia and will link up with City after the tournament ends.

He will train with Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad for the remainder of the season, but has been signed with an eye on the future and is not expected to be involved this term.

Perrone has made 33 appearances for Velez since his debut in March last year, scoring three goals. — AFP