Claudio Echeverri’s potential Manchester City exit thrown into doubt after club’s relegation | OneFootball

One possible route for Claudio Echeverri out of Manchester City to further accelerate his development through consistent game time has seemingly been shut down.

The Argentina youth international wrote his name into headlines this week after he scored a sensational direct free-kick for Manchester City at the FIFA Club World Cup against Al Ain – a contest that marked his full debut for the club since joining from River Plate.

Pep Guardiola entrusted the 19-year-old with his first two appearances for the club at the tail-end of the last campaign, as he made his competitive debut in the FA Cup Final defeat to Crystal Palace, before also featuring on the final day of the Premier League season at Fulham.

But as director of football Hugo Viana looks to get Pep Guardiola’s squad roster at its strongest state in time for the start of the new European season, much of the investment has focussed in on central and attacking roles.

As such, the future of Claudio Echeverri has been thrown into doubt, with many believing that the Argentine sensation could be handed a loan exit for the course of the upcoming season, with the likes of Girona mooted in some quarters.

French media have also recently suggested that Manchester City had agreed to send a player on loan to Olympique Lyonnais next season, as part of the agreement that brought France international Rayan Cherki to the Etihad Stadium.

And according to the information of MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, Manchester City’s Claudio Echeverri was wanted by the aforementioned French side Lyon prior to their recently-confirmed shock relegation into Ligue 2 due to financial issues.

With regards to the deal that Manchester City may ultimately agree with Lyon, it remains to be seen whether the overall calibre of player deemed suitable to a switch to Ligue 2 will decrease following developments with the French side this week.

As for Echeverri, there may also now be complications over arranging his immediate future after the sustained an ankle injury that left the playmaker on crutches in training this week and wearing a protective boot around his foot and ankle.

Speaking during a recent press conference, Pep Guardiola said of the teenager’s injury sustained against Al Ain on Sunday night, “He has some problems in the ankle… It will be two weeks, three weeks out. We feel so sorry for him, all of us!”