Claudio “Diablito” Echeverri will continue his career in Germany after Manchester City agreed to loan the 19-year-old to Bayer Leverkusen. The attacking midfielder from Chaco, who was named in Lionel Scaloni’s preliminary list for Argentina’s September World Cup qualifiers, will play for last season’s Bundesliga runners-up until the end of the campaign. At Leverkusen, he will reunite with another former River Plate player and Argentina international, Exequiel Palacios.
Echeverri was not part of Pep Guardiola’s plans for the new season and had been linked with several European clubs in recent weeks. City initially looked at sending him to Girona, part of the City Football Group, while Roma also showed interest but wanted a future clause included. In the end, Leverkusen moved quickly and closed the deal.
Per reports, two factors convinced City: the German club agreed to cover 100% of the player’s salary and the deal does not include a purchase option. Echeverri is expected to travel to Germany on Tuesday night, undergo a medical on Wednesday, and be officially presented by the club.
Echeverri joined Manchester City earlier this year after featuring in the South American U-20 Championship with Argentina. He made his debut in the FA Cup final, coming on as a substitute in City’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. He later played five minutes in a league win against Fulham. His biggest highlight came in the FIFA Club World Cup, where he started against Al-Ain and scored a free-kick goal before being subbed off at halftime with an ankle injury.
Bayer Leverkusen is going through a transition following the departure of coach Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid and the exits of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Jonathan Tah. With Erik ten Hag now in charge, the club aims to build on Alonso’s success, which included winning their first-ever Bundesliga title in 2023/24.
The German side started the new season with a 4-0 win over Sonnenhof Großaspach in the DFB Pokal and will host Hoffenheim this Saturday in the Bundesliga opener. It is unlikely that Echeverri will be part of the squad so soon, but the expectation is that he will have a more prominent role than he had in England.
Echeverri’s move to Germany could affect his availability for Argentina’s U-20 World Cup campaign in Chile, scheduled between September 27 and October 19. While at City he was not expected to play much, making his release more feasible, his new role at Leverkusen may complicate matters. His participation will now depend on the club’s decision.
Another Argentine talent, Franco Mastantuono, is also unlikely to play in the tournament, as he will be considered by Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid following his transfer from River Plate.