Manchester City have made a decisive call on the future of Argentine prodigy Claudio Echeverri, who is seen as a major rising star in football.
City confirmed an agreement with River Plate during the last summer transfer window, securing Echeverri on a deal that keeps him tied to the club until 2028. The £12.5 million transfer, plus add-ons, highlights how highly the club rates the young midfielder’s potential. As part of the agreement, Echeverri will remain at River Plate on loan until the end of 2024.
Omar Berrada, City’s former COO and now Manchester United’s CEO, played a key role in finalizing the deal. Reports mention that he worked diligently to complete what was described as a “challenging” negotiation.
Initially, City considered loaning Echeverri to another European club, with Girona, a team under the City Football Group, being a likely destination. However, new UEFA rules preventing the transfer of players between clubs with ownership links while competing in the same tournaments ruled out such a move until at least September 2025.
Now, City have reportedly settled on an exciting plan for Echeverri’s immediate future. According to Simon Bajkowski from the Manchester Evening News, the 18-year-old will be brought to Manchester in January, where he is expected to integrate with Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad. Should he impress in training, a competitive debut before the season’s end is on the cards.
Echeverri made his first visit to Manchester and City’s training facilities over the summer before joining Argentina’s under-23 side for the Olympic Games in Paris. His standout moment at the tournament came when he scored in a 2-0 victory over Ukraine after coming off the bench.
