Dario Sarmiento Man City GFX

Estudiantes confirm wonderkid Sarmiento will join Manchester City

Estudiantes wonderkid Dario Sarmiento will join Manchester City in the summer, the Argentine club confirmed on Friday. 

Sarmiento, 18, has won rave reviews since breaking into the Pincha first team in 2019. 

And he is now gearing up for a move to City, who will pay a fee worth an initial £5 million plus add-ons for the teenage forward. 

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What was said? 

Estudiantes took to Twitter to announce the sale on Friday. 

"We can reveal that, upon completion of the requirements established in the transfer agreement signed with Manchester City, Dario Sarmiento will join the English team from July 1 onwards," the La Plata club explained in their statement. 

City are yet to confirm the news, with Estudiantes' announcement coming during the social media blackout that will remain in place over the weekend in England. 

The bigger picture

With the arrival of Sarmiento, City have added their second South American wonderkid in the space of a fortnight. 

The club had previously swooped for Kayky, who will remain on loan at Fluminense until the beginning of 2022. 

The Estudiantes youngster has played just a handful of games at senior level, but his technical ability and brilliant left foot have earned him the admiration of club legends such as the late Alejandro Sabella. 

"He is a boy who plays very well, who gives me hope of a good future for him and for all of us who love the club so much," the former Pincha and Argentina boss, who passed away in December, said of Sarmiento. 

Indeed, Sabella even brought the youngster to his knees, as he told  ESPN : "He came and asked me if I was Sarmiento, I said yes and he knelt down.

"He said I was going to be a star, but I need to be calm and live in the present.

"I was nervous, I couldn't believe it. I swear my legs were shaking, I didn't know what to say. I still get nervous when I tell the story and imagine that moment."

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