Manchester City will officially welcome Claudio Echeverri to the Etihad in January once his loan at River Plate concludes, but the Argentine club isn’t giving up on trying to keep their rising star.
It’s no shock that River Plate wants to retain the talented young midfielder Echeverri, who is set to join Manchester City full-time at the start of 2025. However, their latest tactic to sway City into extending his loan involves publicly casting doubt on Echeverri’s readiness for European football.
City initially signed the 18-year-old sensation back in January for an estimated £12.5 million, allowing him to stay on loan at River for their 2024 season, which wraps up in December. As previously reported by MEN Sport, City plans to bring Echeverri into their squad at the beginning of 2025, providing him the opportunity to prove himself under Pep Guardiola. Despite this arrangement, River Plate is pushing to keep Echeverri a bit longer after a season in which he delivered four goals and five assists across 37 appearances. Additionally, he contributed to Argentina’s Olympic campaign in Paris, scoring a goal in his last group-stage appearance, though his total playtime was limited to 17 minutes across three substitute appearances.
In a recent appeal to extend his stay, River manager Marcelo Gallardo questioned Echeverehkri’s readiness for European football, suggesting the midfielder would benefit from another year in Argentina.
“Some players are ready to make the jump to Europe, and others are not,” Gallardo explained to TyC. “Claudio is very young; he still needs to develop further in Argentinian football, particularly with his physique, before he’s fully prepared. He’s technically gifted and will be a great player, but he’s still in a development phase, and he’s only 18.”
Gallardo expressed his hope for another season with Echeverri, adding, “I’d love to keep him another year if City allows it, but ultimately, it’s not my decision. City has already paid the fee, and we must respect that.”
Drawing a comparison to Julian Alvarez’s transfer to City, Gallardo pointed out that Alvarez had a similar loan period, which helped him mature before joining the Etihad squad.
“When Julián left, he had spent three seasons with us, growing, training, and perfecting his form, making him ready for the leap,” Gallardo reflected. “He spent two years learning, and by the third season, he was truly ready. Sometimes, the pace of development is quick, and decisions are made for different reasons. Claudio’s journey will continue, and he’ll need to keep learning and growing, even if it’s elsewhere.”
