Real Madrid make €10 million bid to sign Argentine forward: Reports

According to El Nacional, Real Madrid have made a €10 million bid to sign Claudio Echeverri from River Plate. The young attacking midfielder is the captain of Argentina's under-17 team and has scored eight goals in 17 matches so far for his nation's youth side.

Los Blancos recently signed 18-year-old Arda Guler for a fee of €18 million from Fenerbahce. The Turk is considered one of the top talents in European football and has already impressed in his training sessions with the La Liga giants.

Real Madrid are looking to sign yet another prospect in the form of Echeverri. Apart from Los Blancos, Manchester City are also reportedly interested in the youngster.

According to the aforementioned report, Los Blancos plan on letting the player stay in Argentina until January on loan if they can complete the signing. Once he arrives in Spain, Echeverri will start with Madrid's B-team, RM Castilla, before getting a chance with the senior squad.

"It will also be very important because we have new players and we need them to adapt" - Carlo Ancelotti about Real Madrid's US tour

Real Madrid will be conducting their pre-season preparations in the US and will also take part in the Soccer Champions Tour, a pre-season tournament. The tournament will also include Arsenal, Barcelona, AC Milan, and Juventus.

Carlo Ancelotti emphasized the importance of the pre-season tour recently, claiming that it will help the new signings integrate into the squad. Ancelotti said (via Los Blancos' official website):

"The reasons for this tour are multiple: to prepare the team for the new season, to get to know fantastic stadiums, to be with the fans in the United States and to play competitive games to see how the team is at this stage of the season. It will also be very important because we have new players and we need them to adapt to our style and philosophy as soon as possible. The internationals, who are now working individually, will also join us."

The Italian tactician added:

"We are working very hard. The tour is important for the whole team, but for players like Bellingham, Güler, Brahim, Fran García and Joselu, it gives them the chance to adapt to a new idea of football and get to know their new teammates better."

Real Madrid's performances in La Liga left a lot to be desired last season as they finished 10 points behind rivals Barcelona. They were also eliminated in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after a 5-1 aggregate hammering at the hands of Manchester City. Hence, it is understandable why Ancelotti is keen on preparing well for the upcoming season.