Manchester City plot Claudio Echeverri transfer for January window

Etihad Stadium transfer bosses are reportedly eyeing an immediate recall of Claudio Echeverri from his ongoing loan at Bayer Leverkusen.

Echeverri’s representatives have made a mess of their teenager’s equation with Manchester City, his parent club, having insisted on joining Leverkusen for a season-long loan in August despite the club’s desire for the Argentine to follow January signing Vitor Reis to City’s sister club Girona in Spain.

City sanctioned a loan to Leverkusen for Echeverri, who has since barely kicked a ball in Germany and faces an uncertain future at Leverkusen, who are ready to cut short the playmaker’s loan amid frustrations at the Etihad Stadium over the 19-year-old’s playing time.

It is understood that Echeverri wants to head back to boyhood club River Plate, whom he left to join Manchester City in 2024, to revitalise his club career. Manchester City, however, would prefer if the youngster stays in Europe to compete at the highest level.

City conduct a routine review of their season-long loanees in the January transfer window and Echeverri is expected to be a major topic of discussion amongst director of football Hugo Viana and other decision-makers at the Etihad Stadium in the coming weeks.

The Blues can choose to bring Echeverri back to Manchester and keep him in the proximity of the first-team, or send him on a short-term loan to another club where the club deem he will play regularly to progress his development.

Echeverri arrived in England in January 2025 and after only training with the senior squad to learn Guardiola’s methods in the opening months of his time at the Etihad Stadium, the Argentine was handed a surprise debut in Manchester City’s FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace, where he nearly levelled proceedings in an eye-catching cameo off the bench.

Viana overhauled Manchester City’s ageing ranks upon his arrival to England and it was decided that a season on loan would benefit Echeverri and many others, who found new clubs to make a strong case for their respective nations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to the information of German newspaper Kicker, as translated and relayed by BuliNews, Manchester City are planning to recall Echeverri from his loan at Bayer Leverkusen through the triggering of a clause in his contract.

That recall clause can be triggered as the 19-year-old playmaker is now no longer able to reach a certain amount of appearances for the Bundesliga side this season, with his club unlikely to block an early return anyway.

Echeverri’s representatives are believed to be in talks with Leverkusen over the termination of the loan deal, which is likely to spark interest from a series of European clubs who would be eyeing the addition of the Argentine to their first-team ranks.

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola want Echeverri to be playing regularly and after succumbing to his agent’s request of moving to Leverkusen in the summer, executives at the Etihad Stadium are not likely to entertain any further requests from the teenager’s camp.