Manchester City fans didn't have to wait long to see new signing Maximo Perrone in action after his signing was confirmed on Monday, as he represented Argentina overnight at the South American Under-20 Championship.
Midfielder Perrone, signed for £8.2m from Velez Sarsfield on a five-and-a-half year contract at the Etihad, is Argentina's number six at the tournament in Colombia, and scored in their opening game defeat by Paraguay. That meant that Javier Mascherano's youngsters had to improve against rivals Brazil last night, but things didn't go to plan.
After falling a goal behind, Argentina missed a first-half penalty, before Perrone gave the ball away in midfield to allow Brazil to break and double their lead.
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Argentina rallied in a badly tempered second half, with Perrone, 20, tasked with trying to keep the crosses coming in to get back into the game, but despite their pressure, Brazil earned a penalty of their own late on to convert and seal the win.
Perrone's side did get one back before the end, however the 20-year-old's afternoon ended on a sour note as he was booked in injury time for simulation.
The defeat leaves Argentina fourth in their five-team group with two games left to play, and progression to the next stage is now out of their hands.
The top three qualify for a second group stage - to compete in a six-team group, where the winner will be crowned champions. Hosts Colombia are third at the moment, with four points, and Argentina must now win both of their final games to have any chance of progressing.
Even if Argentina take six points against Peru on Wednesday and against Colombia on Saturday, they could still get knocked out if Colombia beat Brazil in their next game. If Colombia do that, Argentina could still qualify, but would need Brazil to also lose against current leaders Paraguay, and to overturn an eight-goal swing in goal difference between the two nations.
City would be monitoring Argentina's progress, as Perrone is expected at the City Football Academy on completion of his duties in Colombia. If Argentina are knocked out this week, then they could welcome their new signing sooner than originally planned.
Perrone is expected to train with Pep Guardiola's first team for the remainder of the season, before a decision is made on whether he will stay with them in 2023/24 or get sent out on loan. He isn't expected to feature for City this season and is seen as a potential option for the future.
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