Manchester City midfielder set to replace Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen as loan deal agreed | OneFootball

Manchester City have agreed to loan midfielder Claudio Echeverri to Bayer Leverkusen for the season.

The 19-year-old will join the 2024 Bundesliga champions to help replace Florian Wirtz, who has moved to Liverpool for £100m, and as part of Erik ten Hag’s new-look team.

Leverkusen will not have an option to buy Echeverri as part of the deal, with the Argentinian due to return to City next summer.

He will become the second teenage midfielder to leave the Etihad Stadium on loan in swift succession, with Sverre Nypan being borrowed by Middlesbrough.

City bought Echeverri from River Plate in January 2024, though he was loaned back to his previous club for another year.

He moved to Manchester in January, made his debut as a substitute in the FA Cup final and scored his first City goal in the 6-0 rout of Al-Ain in the Club World Cup.

However, Pep Guardiola has a host of other options to play as attacking midfielders or wingers, including Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Jeremy Doku, Savinho and Oscar Bobb, and has said he wanted to operate with a smaller squad.

Meanwhile, Leverkusen lost five regulars from their title-winning team in Lukas Hradecky, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka and Wirtz. Former Manchester United manager Ten Hag’s other signings include Jarell Quansah from Liverpool.