Manchester City have inserted a number of clauses in a deal to sell academy left-back Juan Larios to Southampton on deadline day.
Larios, 18, was highly-rated when he joined from Barcelona's academy in 2020, and was a regular for the under-18s in his first year, before progressing up to the under-21s last season. He made 37 appearances in total for the academy, and now leaves for a first-team challenge at Southampton, signing a five-year contract.
City rated Larios highly, but have allowed him to leave for a £6m fee and have ensured they have a stake in his future progression with a buy-back clause included, along with an option to match any future offers for the Spaniard.
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The Blues have also inserted a 20 per cent sell-on clause for Larios, who joins Gavin Bazunu, Romeo Lavia and Sam Edozie at St Mary's having left City this summer for a combined total of almost £40m.
On his arrival, Larios said: “I’m so happy to be here in Southampton. I’m really looking forward to starting with the team.
“I like the philosophy of the club, to develop young players and trust them. I was talking with the manager and the club, and they showed me how brave they are. They told me they believe in me, for now and for the future.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl, Southampton manager, said his new signing will be given Premier League exposure this season, saying: “Juan is a talented young player who has shown he has the technical qualities and personality to improve our team.
“This is a positive step in continuing our way of signing young and hungry players with a desire to get better with us. We hope to be able to give Juan the opportunity to play Premier League football, and his adaptability in being able to play in different positions can definitely help us this season and in the future.”
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