Manchester City to add £12.5 million midfielder to Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad in January

Premier League champions Manchester City have made a decision on the immediate future of rising Argentine talent, Claudio Echeverri.

Etihad Stadium officials had formally announced an agreement with River Plate for the transfer of Echeverri during the most-recent summer transfer window, with the player penning a contract at the club until the summer of 2028.

Such is the belief in Echeverri’s immediate talents and longer-term prospects that the English giants sanctioned a deal worth £12.5 million plus add-ons, with the player going on to remain on loan at River Plate until the end of 2024.

Omar Berrada – now Manchester United’s chief executive officer – was involved in City’s successful negotiations with River Plate for Echeverri, with the club’s former COO ‘working long, hard and successfully on a challenging deal’, according to one report.

There had been an original belief that upon the expiry of that loan deal, Echeverri may be sent on another loan agreement elsewhere in Europe, with a move to City Football Group’s Girona eyed as a significant candidate for his services.

However, changes in UEFA rules around clubs with ownership ties exchanging players whilst competing in the same competitions meant that Manchester City and Girona would not be able to engage in transfer activity until at least September 2025.

Now, it appears as though officials within the Etihad Stadium offices have finally made a firm decision on Echeverri’s future, and it is one that will no doubt bring huge excitement for the player himself and fans of the club.

According to the information of the Manchester Evening News’ Simon Bajkowski, no plans were made concerning Claudio Echeverri for 2025 and Manchester City have now decided to bring the 18-year-old to the Etihad Stadium in January.

It is detailed that the plan will be for the attacking midfielder to join Pep Guardiola and his first-team squad, with a competitive debut for the team prior to the end of the season being possible should the teenager impress in training.

Claudio Echeverri made a brief first visit to Manchester and the City Football Academy training centre over the summer months, prior to reporting for international duties with Argentina at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Echeverri endured somewhat of a memorable personal achievement at the Olympics, having scored for Argentina’s under-23 side in a 0-2 win vs Ukraine under-23s having emerged from the substitutes bench to feature for the final 16 minutes of the contest last July.