Manchester City’s immediate first-team plans for Claudio Echeverri revealed as January arrival looms | OneFootball

The arrival of Claudio Echeverri is now right around the corner at Manchester City, with the club’s immediate plans for the player now outlined.

The Premier League champions first announced an agreement with Echeverri and River Plate back in January 2024 that had seen the attacking midfielder sign a contract at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2028.

Etihad bosses felt it necessary to sign off on a deal worth £12.5 million plus add-ons for the Argentina youth international, whilst it was simultaneously confirmed that Echeverri would remain on loan at River Plate until the end of 2024.

Now, with that extended stay with the South American giants now over and a switch to European football now looming, Manchester City fans are growing in excitement for the arrival of the 18-year-old in Sky Blue.

However, despite the shortcomings on the pitch that have brought just two wins in 14 matches across all competitions, it appears as though a regular first-team role for Claudio Echeverri may not be happening any time soon.

That is according to The Athletic’s Sam Lee, who reveals that City’s incoming attacking midfield prospect is expected to be ‘on the fringes of the team for the time being’, and could be loaned out during the summer transfer window for the next campaign.

The Argentina youth international’s situation is said to have a chance of being similar to Maximo Perrone, who is ‘highly rated’ by City coaches but has been out on loan since two first-team appearances during the second-half of the 2022/23 season.

Additional reporting from MailSport’s Jack Gaughan follows a similar line too, with it being claimed that Claudio Echeverri is currently seen as a talent to be coached rather than immediately impacting the City first-team.

In the meantime, Manchester City are expected to be somewhat engaged in market activity during the January transfer window, with 2025 as a whole set to represent the building of a new generation of Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Speaking during a recent media commitment, Guardiola commented on the winter market, “In some positions we need help. When we’re all together we’re the team we were but with important players out for weeks and months it’s so difficult.”

The Catalan coach continued, “I thought central defenders would be fit all season but we’ve struggled, holding midfield and central defenders we need help. The market is the market, not easy, expensive so we’ll see what the club can do.”

City return to Premier League action next weekend as they welcome West Ham United to the Etihad Stadium having won their final top-flight clash of 2024 in a 0-2 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium thanks to goals from Savinho and Erling Haaland.