Manchester City's reputation for a willingness to hoover up talent from any corner of the footballing world was further enhanced yesterday with the arrival on Moss Side of six of Argentina's most promising young players.
The players, all in their teens, are anxious to build careers in England and will, this weekend, attempt to impress senior representatives of the struggling first division club.
All six have been pencilled in by manager Frank Clark to play in an A team fixture against Burnley on Saturday morning. The players are Pablo dos Rais (River Plate), Miguel Manzoni (River Plate), Marl Figueroa (Newells Old Boys), Gaston Piaquadio (Newells Old Boys), Pablo Modica (Rosario Central) and Martim Gomez (Independiente).
With Argentinian football once again in the throes of a major financial crisis - one which is forcing the country's most accomplished players to seek employment abroad - it is thought highly unlikely that any of those who will play this weekend would cost more than £200,000.
City's cosmopolitan side is expected to contain three Georgians against Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday after their defender Kakhuber Tskhadadze yesterday received clearance to play in this country.
