LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – Bayer Leverkusen head coach Kasper Hjulmand has officially confirmed that the club and Manchester City have reached an agreement to terminate Claudio Echeverri’s loan deal in January.
The 19-year-old Argentine sensation is set to leave the Bundesliga after a frustrating five-month spell where he struggled for consistent first-team minutes.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Hjulmand was transparent about the decision: “We’ve made the decision together with Manchester City that he will return.
I think Claudio is a great player, but we have a lot of players in his position. It simply wasn’t possible to give him more playing time here.”
A Difficult Stint in Germany
Echeverri, nicknamed “El Diablito,” arrived at Leverkusen in August 2024 with massive expectations but saw his development stall:
- Playing Time: He registered only 11 appearances (just 3 starts) across all competitions, totaling roughly 270 minutes of football.
- The “Recall” Clause: Manchester City reportedly triggered a specific performance-based recall clause because Echeverri failed to reach a pre-agreed threshold of appearances.
- Agent Tensions: There has been public friction between Pep Guardiola and Echeverri’s representation. Guardiola recently hinted that the player’s camp insisted on the Leverkusen move over City’s preferred option, Girona.
Girona or River Plate: Where Next?
With his return to the Etihad official, the race for his signature in the second half of the season is on:
- Girona (The Favorites): As a City Football Group sister club, Girona is seen by Man City as the “perfect and trusted environment” for his next phase. Reports suggest the La Liga side has already opened talks, and Echeverri is reportedly open to the move this time.
- River Plate (The Emotional Choice): Echeverri’s boyhood club is preparing “one last attempt” to bring him home on loan. However, Man City management remains firm on a European pathway, wanting him to adapt to the physical demands of European football before the 2026 World Cup.
