Manchester City signed Claudio Echeverri in January, but the Premier League champions are now forced to change their plans after Messi 2.0 ended his spell with River Plate on loan.
Man City are considering an alternative loan plan for Argentine teenage star Claudio Echeverri after Girona qualified for next season’s Champions League. Man City signed 18-year-old star Claudio Echeverri from River Plate and loaned Echeverri back to River Plate until January 2025.
Man City plans to bring Echeverri to their “backyard” club, Girona, after Argentina’s Messi 2.0 ends his playing time at River Plate. However, the above plan went bankrupt because Girona shocked La Liga by securing a position in the Top 4, along with qualifying for the Champions League next season. The regulations of the European Football Federation (UEFA) prohibit clubs with the same owner from playing in the Champions League and borrowing players from each other.
Echeverri can still join Girona if Man City or Girona are eliminated in the Champions League group stage and cannot face each other in the knock-out round. However, Man City leaders are negotiating with three other La Liga clubs, Real Sociedad, Real Betis and Las Palmas, as an alternative to bring Echeverri to Spain to continue “studying abroad”.
Claudio Echeverri, who captained Argentina at the U-17 World Cup and scored a hat-trick in the quarterfinal victory over Brazil, is considered the next Lionel Messi of Argentine football. In January, Man City bought Claudio Echeverri from River Plate for a transfer price of 12.5 million pounds plus fees after the Argentine club feared losing Messi 2.0 because his contract expired.
River Plate’s current coach is former Man City midfielder Martin Demichelis. Demichelis won the Premier League with Man City in 2014. When asked about Echeverri by Man City leaders, Demichelis affirmed that Echeverri is a rare talent that is hard to find. Claudio Echeverri has signed a contract with Man City until 2028 but is now considered a star of the future.
