MADRID, Dec 14 - Real Madrid have agreed to sign 19-year-old Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain from River Plate on a six-and-a-half year deal.

"The player will join on January 1 and remain at Real until June 2013," the Primera Liga club said on their Web site (www.realmadrid.com) on Thursday.

Spanish media reported the highly-rated youngster had signed for the nine-times European champions for a fee in the region of 13 million euros ($17.17 million).

Higuain shot to prominence last May when he scored twice as River Plate beat Corinthians 3-1 to knock the Brazilian champions out of the Libertadores Cup.

He struck twice more in a 3-1 win over arch-rivals Boca Juniors in October and notched a spectacular goal in a 1-1 draw at Velez Sarsfield at the weekend to end the Apertura championship as his club's top scorer with nine goals.

Higuain, whose nickname is "Pipita", was named as "Revelation of the Year" by Argentine daily Clarin last week.

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His father Jorge played professional football in France for Brest where Gonzalo was born in 1987.

Higuain was 10 months old when he moved to Argentina with his family and has lived there ever since. His brother Federico plays for Nueva Chicago.

Last month he was called up by France coach Raymond Domenech for a friendly against Greece but his father sent the French Federation a fax saying he did not want to play for the country for the time being.

Higuain's recruitment forms part of Real's policy to rejuvenate a squad that contains a host of players over 30.

They have signed Brazil's teenage left back Marcelo and are also negotiating the purchase of 20-year-old Argentine midfielder Fernando Gago from Boca Juniors.

Higuain will be competing with Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Raul and Robinho for a place in Real's attack.